


Reed Alert

by StarryEyedSpaceGirl



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Angst, College AU, Enterprise, F/M, MalcomxOC, Modern AU, ST: ent, Star Trek - Freeform, awkward love story, honestly I’m just writing the Malcolm love story I believe we deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2020-09-24 13:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 24,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20359192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryEyedSpaceGirl/pseuds/StarryEyedSpaceGirl
Summary: A Malcolm ReedxOC college AU! that's been ruminating in my brain for the last few weeks. I'm over the moon for this boy!"Malcolm thought he was content with his predictable routine teaching at Oxford University, but when a travel abroad student arrives from America with bright eyes and radical ideas about happiness, he begins to reevaluate what exactly he wants out of his life."





	1. Meet-cute

Malcolm Reed took a deep breath of crisp English air and let it out slowly. He loved being on campus this early in the morning, before any students were up and about. The silence was a comfort he couldn’t find at any other time of day at Christchurch. 

He took a sip of steaming coffee as he made his way down the familiar cobblestone path. His office was all the way around the other side of the neatly manicured courtyard, which gave him plenty of time to run through the roster. There were twenty five students registered for the physics course, several of whom were from the study abroad program. 

He ran his fingers through neatly combed hair, trying to quell his lingering doubts about the upcoming term. Having taught classes in Oxford for several years now, he was somewhat used to the routine of students visiting from different cultures, but Americans… well, they were in a class entirely their own.

Not that he had anything against them especially. In fact, he had become good friends with many of them during his time in school. He was currently in an ongoing, heated debate about the future of Aerospace engineering with his old dorm mate Charles Tucker III, who was hard at work at NASA headquarters. He also kept in contact with Hoshi Sato, a brilliant linguist and now a professor of modern language and linguistics in Brazil.

However, he had learned to keep very low expectations when it came to young Americans in his classroom. Many of them considered the study abroad program to be a glorified vacation, and as for the rest… well. Much of the abysmal academic preparation common in American students was an unfortunate symptom of a poorly constructed educational system. 

He was hard at work thinking about how he would survive the first day of classes when a shriek shattered the calm of the morning. A group of girls were making their way out of their dorm, laughing and talking with a kind of wild abandon. Most appeared to be fresh out of high school, practically children. At thirty four he didn’t feel particularly old, but every year that passed made him feel his age most acutely.

When both he and the rather large group of girls arrived at a small archway at the same time, he saw his opportunity. He might not be young, but he had a good deal of that English charm that females seemed to favor so well. 

"After you ladies, of course."

They eyed him with extreme interest as they passed by, giggling madly. 

“Thank you.”

The warm smile that accompanied the voice stopped him short. As did the stormy blue eyes.

“Not at all.”

Her smile widened. She was much closer to his age than the others, mid to late twenties if he were to hazard a guess. Brown curls had escaped her ponytail and were blowing across her ruddy cheeks with wild abandon.

He opened his mouth to greet her.

"Malcolm! Just the man I was hoping to run into this morning."

Malcolm glanced back at his aged colleague only for a second, but that was all it took for the girl, and his opportunity, to pass. He only allowed himself a moment of self pity. Perhaps, if he was very lucky, he would bump into her again. 

Or perhaps it would be better if he didn’t. She was a student after all, and he knew the rules: no fraternizing allowed. 

A long winded conversation with his colleague ran him late for class. He was forced to jog to his office to grab his lecture bag, and he was still shrugging on his professorial robes as he strode into the lecture hall. The whole room was enveloped in a tense silence as he took a moment to compose himself. When he finally turned, every eye was on him.

"Good-morning class and welcome to Physics 106, Space-time and Quanta. My name is Professor Malcolm Reed, and I will be taking you through your first term of study here at Oxford University.” 

He cleared his throat. “I usually take a little time on the first day to get to know my class before attending to business, but as you may have noticed I was a little tardy in my arrival. We will have to dive right in if we want to keep on track. I will begin by taking roll, then we will go over a brief overview of the course syllabus before getting into the lecture material."

He didn't bother to look at the list. "Anders, Jeffrey."

A student he recognized from orientation raised his hand.

Then came the first travel abroad student on his roster. "Brookhurst, Jasmine."

"Here."

That voice. He zeroed in on her almost immediately, large blue eyes staring at him from the middle of the second row. There was a small smile of recognition at the corner of her mouth. 

His mouth twitched to return it.

Good luck or bad he couldn’t yet tell. Regardless, he was glad to see a friendly face among the rabble.

He nodded his head and went on with the roll.

* * *

Jasmine Brookhurst tried to keep her cool as she and Professor Reed finally broke eye contact. When they'd passed each other in the courtyard earlier he hadn't been wearing that robe, so she'd assumed he was one of the students. He seemed fairly young to be in a teaching position at Oxford, especially considering that most of the staff she'd seen during orientation week had been well over fifty. He looked to be in his early thirties, although it was possible he was older than he appeared. 

He was, however, much more attractive than any professor of physics should legally be in her opinion. He had a strong jaw and dimples in his cheeks to go along with a crooked smile. His hair was neatly groomed except for a few long pieces in the front, which were sticking up at odd angles almost as if he’d run his fingers through them in a fit of absentmindedness...

“T his course presents an introduction to the twin pillars of contemporary physics: relativity and quantum theory. This term we will explore the counter intuitive consequences of special relativity for our understanding of space and time, and the nature of the subatomic quantum world…”

Her leg bounced as she skimmed over the course material. She’d already taken a physics course at home, it was a prerequisite for all Aerospace Engineering majors, but space-time and quanta was something else entirely. This was clearly going to be a difficult class. 

"How many of you received my email I sent a week ago yesterday?" 

About half the students, including herself, raised their hands.

"And how many of you read through the assigned pages and brought the book?"

Most of the hands went down, but Jasmine’s remained.

"As I thought. Very well then, if you would please share with a student sitting next to you when we begin discussions, I would be very much obliged. To those of you who did not bring your books, I expect you to be properly prepared before next class session, understood?"

He spoke so sternly that several of her classmates began to vigorously nod their heads, even the ones who'd brought their textbooks. A mad giggle threatened to escape.

"Good. Miss Brookhurst, if you would please read the first two paragraphs of the introduction, followed by Hayes who will read the second set of paragraphs, then Hernandez you can finish it off for us."

She wasn’t sure how, but she somehow muddled through her part of the introduction. Jeremiah Hayes promptly picked up where she left off.

His voice brought her some level of comfort. Jeremiah had sat next to her on the flight to Heathrow, and they’d fallen easily into conversation. He was good company, gentlemanly, polite, and very attractive too if you favored the 'clean-cut All-American boy from Virginia' kind of vibe. They’d gotten along so well that they came to the unspoken agreement that they would stick together for the rest of the trip.

Professor Reed called upon Hernandez to finish off the introduction, his arms folded neatly behind his back. His head was stiff, and he wore a frown that would make most drill sergeants proud. 

It was a very natural stance on him, similar to the one that Jeremiah slipped into on many occasions. It seemed practiced, like all senses were on alert and looking for trouble. Jeremiah had mentioned being in the Navy Seals, and now she couldn’t help wondering if Malcolm Reed had been in the military once as well. He certainly looked as if he would be much more at home in a uniform. 

She didn’t have much time to linger on the thought however. Very soon she was fully occupied with writing notes, hard pressed to keep up with the information once it started flowing. However Malcolm Reed proved to be an ideal professor. He didn’t waste time with pointless stories or boring bullet points of information, but he welcomed questions and openly encouraged discussion. 

Behind his cool and professional facade, she could sense a real passion for the subject shine through. She felt that he genuinely wanted them to understand the material.

When she walked out of his classroom an hour later, she suddenly wished she’d ordered that extra shot of espresso.

"Is that what Bootcamp feels like?"

Jeremiah chuckled. “More or less.”

“Do you think I have enough time to get more coffee?”

“You’d have to be fast.”

She checked her watch. “Oof. I’m fast but I’m not that fast. I’ll just have to live off water until lunch.”

They walked a short way to their next lecture hall, and he held open the door for her. They took seats next to each other in the front row.

Doctor Phlox, their psychology professor, walked in soon after. He was as different from Malcolm Reed as night and day. He was a pounchy, kind-faced man with a jolly smile who seemed much more interested in creating a conversational dialogue than a traditional classroom environment. She could tell she was going to enjoy his class.

The rest of her day flew by in a haze of coffee, powerpoints, and hastily recorded notes. When she finally crawled into bed at the end of her first day, she was exhausted. As she slowly drifted off to sleep, her mind brought forth the image of a certain sharp-eyed physics professor smiling at her. Her sister Lauren’s parting words echoed dully in the back of her mind.

_ “I hope you meet an adorable English boy and you fall madly in love with each other!” _

“Here’s hoping sis.” She mumbled, and promptly fell asleep.


	2. Caught Reed Handed

Only two weeks in, and the term was getting on rather like Malcolm expected. Certain students were arriving to lectures later and later, and he predicted that within a week they'd begin skipping classes. It was disappointing of course, but at least now he could focus his efforts on teaching those students who were actually there to learn, like Jasmine Brookhurst. He often amused himself by asking her difficult questions, just so he could listen to her intelligent and witty responses. It brought him a strange sort of satisfaction to know there were still keen intellects in the classroom these days. As a professor he'd been starved for such a student. There was rarely a moment when she wasn't answering questions or ravenously taking notes.

It sort of reminded him of himself when he was in school.

The stale air of the gym greeted him as he pushed open the doors. He didn't typically meet any students there at five-thirty in the morning, but he wasn't surprised to see Hayes already hard at work. He was a man of habits, and the gym was clearly a part of his routine. They exchanged cool nods as he passed.

Jeremiah Hayes was proving to be an extremely good student as well, but there was more to him than met the eye. The man had an impressive resume, and after a short conversation it became obvious that he had no reason to be taking a mid-level physics course. Hayes claimed that he'd enrolled at Oxford because it allowed him to travel for free, as it was paid for by his GI bill, but Malcolm didn't buy that excuse for a second. Having worked his way up to a Lieutenant in the Army, he had learned to identify the men and women who would live the action till the day they died. Hayes struck him as that sort of man.

The whole situation smelled like special ops to him. There was no logical reason why Hayes would choose to travel to England when he'd most likely served in more exotic places while on active duty. But Malcolm knew better than to pry. He'd done a brief stint in covert operations in his early days, and understood exactly what came with such a responsibility. Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

Malcolm didn't envy the man. Secrecy was a heavy burden to bear, and it was yours to bear alone. He'd left that life behind years ago, however, and it was now family obligation that weighed heavily upon him.

Since he was already a huge disappointment to his father by not joining the Navy, as was the Reed male tradition, he'd done his best to make recompense by accepting this position at Oxford. His father had pulled a lot of strings to make it happen for him, and Malcolm believed he was duty bound to walk the path laid out before him.

Yet it was getting more and more difficult to smother the voice that whispered he was meant for something more. He could hear it clamoring for attention as he slipped on his headphones and wrapped his hands.

He did a quick warm-up of shadow boxing before moving on to the bags. Within minutes sweat began to fly, and he soon forgot about all his worries and responsibilities. He paused to take his first water break after finishing his first set. The bottle was halfway to his mouth when she shuffled through the door.

His hand froze halfway to his mouth. Jasmine usually came to class wearing long coats and boots, and it was only in his least guarded moments that he found himself wondering what kind of figure she had underneath all those layers.

Now he didn't have to wonder at all.

Jasmine was full of curves, strong yet soft, like the marble figures of Venus de Milo or Joan of Arc. The effect was quite pleasing, and he would have been happy to look at her for another quarter of an hour if he could. His better judgement won out, however, and he forced himself to turn away. Albeit with great effort.

"Well look who finally decided to roll out of bed." Hayes greeted her.

"Morning."

Jasmine's voice was still a little scratchy from sleep, which was endearing.

"Nice slippers. You think you're up for this, or would you like to use my gym bag as a pillow?"

"Ha ha, very funny. I stayed up late alright?"

"Trying to get through Mayweather's essay on thermodynamics?"

She scoffed. "That's small beans Jeremiah. I set my sights a little higher than that."

"You didn't finish them all last night, did you? How much coffee did you drink?"

"Probably a liter."

"Jasmine," he sounded exasperated, "You know you're not supposed to drink caffeine after-"

"Six o'clock, I know. But I couldn't sleep, and I saw the pile of papers on my desk just waiting to be finished so I figured well... C'est la vie."

He huffed, and the two lapsed into silence. Malcolm peered around the bags to see Jasmine pulling on her shoes. She yawned, and Malcolm was forced to agree with Hayes. She certainly looked like she would much rather be sleeping than at the gym.

He pulled back with a frown. Her presence was putting him in an unexpected predicament. Not only did he have to finish his workout, but he now felt compelled to be impressive. He wasn't quite on the same level as Hayes, who could heft 26kg dumbbells as if they weighed next to nothing, but he still had a trick or two up his sleeve. Malcolm wasn't a large man, but he was tough, and he'd learned how to use power and agility to his advantage.

For a solid hour he pushed himself hard, and when he eventually packed up his things to leave felt rather pleased by his performance. Jasmine had certainly looked his direction often enough, which was a win in his opinion.

Before stepping out the door, he couldn't resist one last look at the mirrored wall. She looked rather ghastly. Her face was an ungodly shade of red and the front of her t-shirt was darkened with sweat, yet there was an intense focus in her eye as she executed a barbell squat with perfect form.

He hiked his bag higher onto his shoulder with a small smile. It was rare to meet people who took pride in everything that they do, but Jasmine was an exception to the rule. She had a habit of surprising him, and he rather hoped she would continue to do so.

It was something to look forward to amidst the dull routines of life.


	3. Gym Encounters

Jasmine dropped her barbell to the floor as the door snapped shut behind her. When Jeremiah had invited her to join him at the gym at five-thirty in the morning, she'd almost laughed in his face. Turns out the joke was on her.

Her body was still unused to the time change. She'd thought that several hours of writing essays would solve the problem, but it hadn't. After tossing and turning in bed, watching the sky slowly brighten outside her window, she figured the best thing to do would be to get up and attempt a workout. It had been tough keeping pace with Jeremiah, but there had been a lot of incentive.

So, Malcolm Reed was a martial artist, and a good one at that. It had been difficult not watching him in the mirror. Martial arts had always held a special sort of fascination for her, and although she'd dabbled in it in the past, she'd never really given it a good try. Malcolm seemed to be a master, incorporating moves she'd never seen before. At times he'd moved so fast that she couldn't tell whether he'd actually struck the bag, or she imagined its slight shudder.

She somehow doubted Jeremiah could pull off the same moves. He was strong and had considerable endurance, but Malcolm was all agility and lean muscle. If they ever chose to spar, it would be quite the match-up. From what she could tell, the two of them were cut from the same cloth. It had come out in lecture one day that Reed had served in the British Army, and she'd have thought that since both men came from a military background that they'd have some sort of civil relationship. She'd thought wrong. The two avoided each other like the plague, and Jeremiah didn't seem too keen on saying why.

Perhaps it was a military thing. She supposed she just didn't understand men.

Jeremiah waved at her, and she paused her music. He was getting ready to leave.

"Planning on coming back tomorrow?"

"Probably."

"Great. I was thinking about doing a workout on the bags if you're interested in joining me."

She grinned. "Absolutely!"

"I'm not as good as Reed, but I can teach you a few good moves."

She snorted.

"See you in class?"

She waved, and when the door closed behind him she was again alone with her thoughts. Jeremiah really was a great guy. Girls swooned over him, and while she thought he was cute, he just wasn't her type.

She was twenty seven years old, and she still hadn't met a man who was "her type". Maybe she was being too picky and needed to lower her expectations, but she didn't think she was asking for too much. There was no list ranking body types and personality profiles. What she really wanted was connection. That was it. A genuine connection that ran deeper than initial attraction.

Was that too much to ask?

Apparently yes.

She clearly wasn't desperate. She had always put school and her career before relationships, but now that she was so close to graduation she was beginning to think a little more about the future.

She sighed and plopped down on the bench over by the punching bags. Her sister would be very disappointed in her. She'd already been here two weeks and the only man she'd developed an interest in was off limits. And even if he were interested in her too, which seemed unlikely, it would take an act of heaven to put them together. She was too awkward to start a conversation and he was too reserved to maintain it. With those odds, the chances of them forming any sort of relationship, romantic or otherwise, seemed relatively slim.

She closed her eyes and tried to imagine what kind of advice her sister would give her.

"Starting a conversation isn't that hard Jasmine. Just pick something you can both relate to, like science! Ask him where he learned to do martial arts! Tell him he has great hair!"

Easier said than done.

Jasmine had always had a hard time talking to men she found attractive. Not that she had a hard time talking. Once she got over her nerves, everything worked out fine. When she was nervous, she had a tendency to ramble, which eventually led to her saying something she would rather forget. The catch was that she had to get through the initial awkward rambling stage before she could enter the comfortable, normal human being conversational stage.

"Miss Brookhurst?"

Her eyes flew open. Malcolm Reed stood before her, as if summoned by her existential crisis. She snatched off her headset and hurriedly tried to sit up from her slouch.

"Professor Reed! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. I was just… thinking. And listening to my music actually. Ziggy Stardust really gets me. "

He offered her a polite smile.

Nice. Smooth. Get on with it!

"Did you need something?"

"My towel. It must have slipped out of my bag before I left earlier."

She looked down and lo and behold, there it lay crumpled on the floor beneath her feet. She picked it up and absently folded it.

"Must be a pretty important towel if you came all the way back here for it."

Again with the polite smile. She really needed to end this terrible conversation before she made an even bigger fool of herself.

"Well, here you go. One white nondescript towel safely returned."

"Thank you."

Was it just her imagination, or did his fingers brush unnecessarily against hers when she handed him the towel? Meeting his gaze didn't provide any answers. His face remained as inscrutable as ever.

"See you later professor."

He nodded and promptly disappeared. She let out a deep breath.

Well that could have gone better, but it also could have gone much worse. At least they'd talked, even though it was more of a one-sided conversation.

He'd also seen her in her favorite outfit, so that was a major plus. She'd almost showed up in what she'd worn to bed, which had been an over-sized tye-dye t-shirt with a picture of a cat staring into outer space.

Now that would have been embarrassing.


	4. Affliction

The end of week three was filled with group discussions and tutorials for the class' first essays, but for once Malcolm was not taking advantage of the extra time. He stared into the depths of his coffee, eyes unfocused, a large stack of paperwork piled in front of him.

There was usually a system to the way a term progressed for him, making things like fulfilling his school duties nothing more than business as usual. But this term was different. All the usual bureaucratic nonsense associated with working at the University was becoming exceedingly tiresome, and the superintendent seemed dead set on making his life difficult.

And now his father...

Malcolm opened his browser to stare at the unanswered email. He'd known it was coming the moment he'd rejected the offer from Cambridge University. He'd been mentally trying to prepare a reasonable defense, but it was unlikely that his father would appreciate the one he had to offer: that a desk job, even a higher paying one, would be the beginning of a long, slow, and torturous death. As a professor he was close enough to that reality already, but at least he wasn't chained to his desk. He was free to do his work wherever he wished, whenever he wished to do it. If there was one thing he valued above all else it was his freedom.

Unfortunately his father seemed unwilling to grant him that basic human courtesy.

He let his eyes wander across the room, unconsciously seeking comfort from his troubled thoughts. Her bright red coat was difficult to miss, as were her animated hand gestures. Jasmine was talking to her group, and one of her classmates laughed at whatever she was saying.

He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. He could admit that he'd always had a good appreciation for the fairer sex. He hadn't had too many serious girlfriends over the years. Long-term relationships never seemed to pan out, probably because the attraction had rarely gone beyond the physical. For the first few weeks of the term he'd slipped Jasmine into the same category, assuming that he'd lose interest in her like he had with so many other girls.

He found himself unable to move on, however, which was a serious problem considering their current circumstances.

He never imagined he'd develop interest in a student, and quite frankly he was unprepared for how to deal with it. Not only did he see her in class every morning, but she used the same gym, ran the same routes around the city, and studied in the same pubs and cafes as he did. If he didn't know better, he would have thought she was doing it on purpose. However, it was glaringly obvious she was unaware of the chaos she was inflicting on his personal life.

Strangely enough, the chaos wasn't altogether unwelcome. It kept him occupied from his darker thoughts, and she was a fascinating distraction. His very limited interactions with her had opened his eyes to a completely different way of living. She had a way of making the world seem like a brighter, more interesting place, and when she laughed... Malcolm didn't think he could ever tire of hearing it.

It was her laugh that drew him out of his musings. Even though Hayes was in a separate group across the room, they appeared to be sharing a private joke. Malcolm felt a twinge of jealousy.

He'd never been good at getting close to people. He'd had his sister until she went away to Uni, and when he'd made it into the army he realized that he wasn't like the rest of the recruits. He took things much too seriously. Humor just wasn't his area of expertise, which he knew made him less desirable as a romantic partner. He was very conscious of the fact that he was a difficult man to be in a relationship with. He was dedicated to his work and didn't dote on or shower women with gifts and attention like other men seemed to do. It just wasn't his way, and probably the reason why he was perpetually single.

All these thoughts and more swirled around his head for the better part of an hour. It was a welcome relief to Malcolm when he looked at his watch and could finally call the end of class. Even though he still had to answer that email from his father, he was looking forward to getting off campus for a while. He needed to find a place where he could refocus and get some of his paperwork done.

"Excuse me professor? I'm sorry, I just have a quick question before you go."

He felt all his limbs stiffen with discomfort at the sound of her voice.

He schooled his face and turned. "What is it?"

He hated how snippy he sounded, but he couldn't help it. For whatever reason, his nerves turned him into an egregious ass whenever she was around.

"I was just wondering, would it be alright if I picked a different subject for my essay? I know you said there was a list of essay prompts to choose from, but I wasn't sure if I had to stick to the list or could pick my own."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Subatomic quantum particles. I happened to run across an article last night and thought it would be an interesting subject to tackle."

"Ah yes, I recall hearing you speak to Hayes about it this morning. I looked it up before class. I thought it was quite compelling."

She blushed, bringing out the color of her eyes most becomingly. "It really was! I know it's a bit more complicated of a subject to tackle than the other options, but I'd like to give it a try."

"By all means."

"Awesome! Thanks." She hesitated, grasping the strap of her backpack tightly.

He felt his palms start to sweat and clasped them behind his back. He really hoped she didn't try to start any small talk. He'd never been good at it and he certainly wasn't in the mood right now.

"Was there something else?"

She smiled awkwardly and pulled a curl of stray hair behind her ear. He found himself automatically following the movement.

"Yes well I… I was just wondering. What kind of routine are you doing when you workout on the bags? It seems like kickboxing, but every so often you add in moves I don't recognize."

His shoulders automatically relaxed. This was something he could talk about without too much discomfort. "I've learned several different martial arts practices, and I like to incorporate them all into my daily routine."

"So you're a mixed martial artist?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"Well it's a lot of fun to watch. You must have practiced hard to be that skilled."

He was flattered. He just hoped it didn't show too much. "After I served in the Army I wanted to explore some of the styles we'd utilized in close quarters combat, like Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. I liked the idea of tying them all together. It makes sparring more unpredictable."

"It's pretty amazing."

He found himself suddenly warming to the subject. "I like the challenge, and it certainly keeps things interesting. It also enables me to maintain peak physical fitness."

"I'll bet it does. Jeremiah offered to teach me, and we started doing sessions after classes. Cardio is no joke."

That twinge of jealousy was back, but he forced himself to smile. "I'm glad to hear it. I hope you'll keep me informed of your progress."

"Absolutely! I might even bug you for insider tips every once in a while. Jeremiah is good, but definitely not as good as you."

He was still basking in her compliment with smug superiority when her watch buzzed.

Her eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh, I forgot that Dr. Phlox was going to bring Teddy in today!"

Malcolm frowned. "Teddy?"

"Er, his fruit bat. He promised I could hold him for a little while before class. I'm so sorry but I have to go."

Her eyes slid out of focus, probably thinking about that mangy bat. He couldn't imagine why she was so fascinated by such a devilish creature, but he began to wonder if maybe he should invest in some kind of animal and bring it to class.

Then again, maybe not. He'd never been very good with animals.

"Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be in meetings all morning."

"Meetings… oh! That's right, tomorrow's Saturday. Can't believe I forgot," she laughed, "Well, have a good weekend then. Hope your meetings aren't too boring."

"That seems unlikely, but thank you all the same."

He hadn't meant to be funny, but she seemed to think he did. Her laugh brought a reluctant smile to his face, and as he watched her leave the lecture hall he realized that it was the first real smile he'd worn in over a week.


	5. Homesickness

"There you go, that's it. Keep your hands up."

Jasmine tensed as she deflected Jeremiah's cross, but was surprised by a body blow to her ribs. She gasped.

"Try not to get stuck in your head. You've got good instincts, give them a chance to do their job."

"Hmph," She blew a rogue hair out of her face with a frown, "they aren't working very well at the moment."

It had been a long, hard week for Jasmine. Besides feeling overwhelmed by a sudden onslaught of homesickness, she was also drowning in class assignments. She had a theory that her professors were all conspiring against her, and she had definitive proof stashed in her backpack: there were several books to read, ten page papers to edit, an experiment to conduct, and she was extremely behind on research for that essay on subatomic quantum particles. She'd been burning the candle on both ends trying to meet various deadlines, and she still didn't see an end in sight.

There was also that meeting with Professor Reed that hadn't gone exactly as expected.

She threw a particularly hard punch, which Jeremiah almost didn't deflect.

"That's good, but try not to let your emotions dictate your actions. That's when you become predictable."

She was breathing hard as they circled around the mat. She feigned a punch then threw a kick. Jeremiah anticipated her. With a neat sidestep, he flipped her to the floor.

She stared up at the ceiling for a moment or two, struck by the acute sting of embarrassment.

"I think I'm about done for today."

"You can't quit now, or it'll be twice as hard for you to keep going next time."

He offered her his hand while she threw him a dirty look.

He was right of course, but it didn't do anything to improve her mood.

She huffed as he pulled her to her feet. As soon as she raised her hands he threw a measured punch. She dodged it with some annoyance.

"Let's go through the movements again."

The outcome looked bleak, but she dutifully followed Jeremiah's lead for the next twenty minutes until he finally called it.

"You did good today."

She roughly unwound her hand wraps.

"I mean it. I could tell you wanted to give up, but you didn't. The first step in getting good at any practice is pushing past failure and learning from your mistakes."

It was hard being Jeremiah's friend sometimes. He was just so full of anecdotes that she regularly had to resist the urge to strangle him. That being said, he was never one to sugar-coat the truth. If he said you did good then he wasn't being nice, he was being honest.

She pulled on her snow boots and tried to gather what was left of her pride.

"Do you plan on meeting me here tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't miss it."

He chuckled. "I have a feeling you're not going to let me push you around anymore."

"Not if I can help it."

"Good. I've been waiting for you to finally put up a fight."

She chucked a glove at him, which he batted away with little effort. "You going to the study hall tonight?"

"Probably. You?"

"Yeah. Text me when you're on your way and I'll save you a seat."

She headed back to her dorm to shower.

Emotions had a habit of sneaking up on her in the middle of the school year. It was difficult being away from home, to not be able to disappear into cheesy movies with her sister, or grab a long hug from her mom. All she had was a Polaroid of them on her desk.

She threw her computer into her backpack and strode out into the snowy streets of Oxford.

Her feet turned her in the direction of St. Michael's Street, towards a favorite study spot in the corner of a small cafe. She ordered a coffee and snagged an outlet, but she only got as far as opening her laptop before her mind went blank. There was so much she needed to get done and she didn't even know where to start, so she stared out into the foggy street and watched people walk by instead.

She was glad Christmas break was almost here. This was the longest time she'd ever spent away from home, and she was finally starting to feel it. She missed her sister, their apartment, and all the daily routines she didn't realize she'd relied on to make her feel comfortable. They'd been a dynamic sister-duo since the day she was born, which made last night's chat all the more bittersweet.

Jasmine smiled slightly, even as her throat tightened. It had been inevitable. Jack, the guy that had been casually dating her sister for the last year and a half had finally dropped the L-word. Laruen had been crazy about him since the moment they met, so it really came as no surprise.

Jack was a great guy. He was a little too idealistic for Jasmine's taste, but perfect for her sister. They already had a list of top ten cities they wanted to live in when they got married.

A stray tear made its way down her cheek, and she swiped it away before anyone noticed. She was happy for her sister, but sad to lose her. Well, she wasn't losing her, not really, but now she was going to have to share her spot at number one with Jack.

Nothing was going to be the same.

When Lauren and Jack got married, she was going to have to find a new place to live. She couldn't afford their apartment alone, which meant that she would either have to move back home until she found a better job or find a small apartment somewhere nearby.

When it rains it pours.

She knew she wasn't doing herself any favors by focusing on problems that weren't even problems yet, but it seemed to fit the mood. Everything was gloomy outside, and she didn't have the energy to be positive when life looked so bleak.

She rubbed her face with both hands. What she needed was to get some work done. Working on projects always made her feel better. The essay was the most pressing issue, but she'd had a hard time looking at it since she'd met with Malcolm to discuss her rough draft.

"Your outline was adequate, but the information is scattered and the facts are weak in several places. I did like your second point, but your first and third appear to be the same. I would suggest combining them and creating a new third point, perhaps on the future applications of subatomic particles. You will need at least ten more credible sources in addition to the ones you already cited, and please remember to change the format from MLA to APA before turning in the final draft."

Not the glowing review she was hoping for, and she was still recovering from the sting of his apathetic remarks.

It was hard not to take it personally, especially since she'd thought they were actually beginning to get more comfortable around each other. He no longer tensed up when she approached him with a question, and his lips turned up occasionally when she made a joke. She supposed it was stupid to think that they'd actually developed a friendship. It was more like a relaxed version of professionalism.

A gust of cold air cut through the balmy heat of the cafe, and just like that Jasmine's trail of thoughts scattered. With a sigh she turned back to the task at hand. The essay certainly wasn't going to fix itself, and when it was finished she wanted it to be the best essay on subatomic quantum particles that Malcolm Reed had ever graded.

He seemed to value intelligence, so who knows? Maybe she'd win him over with a romance of the mind.


	6. Unlikely Friendship

Something was definitely wrong. Malcolm had noticed the dark cloud that had settled over Jasmine's brow at the beginning of the week, chasing away her sunny smile, but he'd forced himself not to get involved. It wasn't any of his business. She certainly hadn't come to him asking for help, but seeing her now, hiding in the corner of the cafe wiping away tears, he felt as if he should do... something.

It couldn't hurt to talk to her in a professional capacity. Hadn't he just attended one of Dr. Phlox's hour long mental health seminars reminding him to check in on his students when they showed signs of emotional distress?

He took a quick look around. If anyone from the University came by and saw them together there could be trouble, but the the place was too modern for his older colleagues. They preferred to relax in the more exclusive clubs.

He took a few steps her direction but paused when he caught sight of himself in a mirror. The lines around his mouth were deeper than he remembered. He had a shadow on his jaw from a string of late night deadlines, and were those bags under his eyes? His many years in the army hadn't aged him nearly as fast as working at the University had.

Maybe I should leave this to Phlox.

His traitorous feet took him another step forward. This was probably a bad idea.

In the army he'd learned how to disarm live bombs under immense pressure. He was authorized to handle ballistics, and was trained on almost every modern firearm the British army had to offer, yet the idea of talking to this girl caused him to break out in a cold sweat.

"Is this seat taken?"

She looked up, startled. Her eyes were still red from crying. "Oh! Uh, no. Go ahead."

He pretended that he didn't see her discreetly wiping her face as he bent down to plug in his laptop.

"How is your essay coming along?"

"Not great."

"I find that surprising. You had a very interesting first draft."

She was wringing her hands in her lap. "Really? After our meeting the other day, I thought you hated it."

He wracked his brain to remember exactly what he'd told her, but came up with nothing. "I'm sorry I gave you that impression. It was very good."

"That makes me feel a little better I suppose." Her smile was weak, but still there.

"If you need any assistance, I'd be happy to send you links to a few websites and articles. They may help you generate ideas."

That cheered her up considerably. "I would really appreciate that. I've been feeling so overwhelmed with everything this week, I need all the help I can get."

"I'll send them over to you later this evening."

"Thanks Malcolm."

He stared at her in surprise while she stumbled over her next words.

"I mean Professor, sorry. The age gap thing is really throwing me off. My brain keeps writing you off as a peer instead of, well..."

Her hands gestured helplessly between them.

"It's alright. Malcolm is perfectly fine."

It was more than fine, in his opinion.

"Was it hard to get a job at Oxford, since you're so young? It seems likes there's be a good old boys club. I mean most of the professors I've met are at least fifty years old."

"It was my father's doing," The answer tasted bitter in his mouth, "I don't believe the board ever would have considered me if he hadn't called in a few favors from his days in the Navy."

She tilted her head to the side, and the little curl she was always fighting slipped out from behind her ear. He had to resist a mad urge to reach out and tuck it away.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you become a professor? It doesn't sound like it was your first choice."

"It wasn't."

"What was?"

The thought was instinctual, an image flickering in the back of his mind. A night spent in jail with Trip, a drunken argument that turned into a heart to heart about life and the future.

"One day, I'm going to make it to the moon."

Trip scoffed. "The moon's small potatoes. The place you really want to go to is Mars."

"What's Mars got that the moon hasn't?"

"Everything Reed, everything."

"You're probably right."

"Damn straight. We'll go there together, some day."

"Some day."

The memory was gone in a blink, replaced by the dull throb of disappointment.

He repressed a sigh. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Her eyes were a little too discerning for his taste, and he was glad she didn't ask him anything more about it. He was afraid that if she were to push, he might actually tell her the truth, and he wasn't sure he was ready to face that bleak reality just yet.

Jasmine's phone lit up on the table in front of her, and his eyes were drawn automatically to the lock screen. The picture was of her and another girl hugging, their expressions halfway between disgust and amusement. It was not a flattering portrait in the least. Perhaps that's why he found it so charming.

She must have seen him looking down at it because she hurried to explain. "It's me and my sister. We like to take ugly pictures together. It's kind of our thing."

"You don't look very much alike, if you don't mind my saying so."

"We don't. She's two years older than me and at least three inches taller," she smiled fondly, as if at a memory, "We're pretty different, but I think that's why we get along so well."

"You're close to your sister then."

"Yeah, we've been renting an apartment together for the last few years. It's been really nice. We share a lot of the same habits so she's easy to live with. I was able to talk to her last night."

Sadness had crept back into her voice, and he realized he'd accidentally struck upon the real issue.

"I have an older sister, Madeline. She was like a second mother to me, always making sure I got up and dressed on time for school. It was difficult for me when she went away to Secondary School. I know it may be hard for you to imagine, but I cried every night for a month."

He felt immense relief when she laughed.

He put all the conviction he could into his voice. "I'm sure she misses you as much as you miss her."

"Yeah."

They sat in silence for a minute or two until she sighed. "Well, I think I've put off this essay long enough. I'm sorry for keeping you this long, I'm sure you have things to do."

"It was my pleasure."

She smiled, and it was a good feeling to know that he'd helped put it there.

He watched her for a few moments more, then stood. "I still need to order my coffee...May I get you anything? More coffee perhaps?"

One thing he'd learned about Jasmine was that her face was an open book. He could read distinctly in her eyes her surprise, followed quickly by confusion. Her hands started fluttering around.

"Oh no, I couldn't ask you to do that," she started to dig around in her bag, "I'll just-"

"You didn't ask, I offered."

She stopped rummaging and bit her lip, her gaze uncertain.

"I insist."

"Well... if you insist."

"What would you like?"

"A cappuccino please."

Ordering took some time, and when he came back with the drinks she quickly set down her phone and bestowed on him a gracious smile.

"Thanks."

Their fingers brushed briefly as he passed over the saucer, and a delicious warmth spread up his arms and into his chest. Their eyes met for the beat of a moment, but just as quickly hers skittered away. She took a sip while he put in his headphones, and soon they were both hard at work. Several hours passed in companionable silence, and when his alarm eventually went off it took him a moment to pull himself back into reality.

He'd felt so comfortable sitting next to Jasmine that he'd forgotten to dread his upcoming meeting with the superintendent. It was like awaking from a pleasant dream into the cold arms of reality.

She popped off her headphones as he started packing his computer away.

"Are you going?"

"Unfortunately yes. I have a rather long meeting tonight that I can't miss."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I."

She grinned.

"I'll send you those links later tonight."

"Thanks. See you Malcolm."

"Good-bye Jasmine."

As he made his way back to campus, a stray and almost undetectable smile made its way onto his face.

Somehow, some way, he'd actually done it. Jasmine appeared to be back to her normal self, and while he'd had his moments, he managed to get through an entire conversation with her without making a complete ass of himself.

Perhaps, like he and Trip, they could form an unlikely friendship after all.


	7. Dear Doctor

"Is everything alright Jasmine?"

"Hm?"

Professor Phlox looked at her over the top of his glasses. "You seem particularly distracted today, and I don't think it has anything to do with finals."

"Oh uh… no, everything's fine." Jasmine was slouched in one of the couches in his office, absently feeding Teddy as she took in all the interesting little knick-knacks scattered across his large desk.

"In my experience, there is no such thing as fine."

She shrugged. "I guess I've just been thinking about home and how different everything's going to be this Christmas."

"You're referring to your sister Lauren I presume."

Jasmine nodded, hoping the pain she felt didn't show on her face. "This is going to sound terribly selfish..."

"But?"

"We have this Christmas tradition where we put on ugly sweaters and listen to Bing Crosby while decorating the apartment. This year it didn't happen because I'm over here, so she did it with Jack instead."

A knowing look crossed his face. "And you feel that she shouldn't have included him in your tradition?"

"I know it sounds terrible. Jack's a great guy and I want him to feel like he's a part of the family, but it would have been nice if she'd asked me first before including him."

She pinched the bridge of her nose and released a heavy sigh. "It's just hard. It feels like the closer he gets to my sister, the farther we grow apart. I mean they're pretty much engaged at this point, and by the time I get home I probably won't have much time to spend with her before she becomes Mrs. Mallory."

"That sounds like an awful lot of conjecture. Have you been able to talk to your sister about any of this?"

"No. This is her first Christmas with Jack and I don't want my bah-humbug to spoil it for her. I'll get over it eventually, I just need some time to think so when I do talk to her it doesn't come out sounding childish."

He watched her with the eyes of someone who could see far more in a glance than most people could see in a lifetime. It made her want to squirm in her seat. Eventually, he turned back to his papers and she was able to relax again.

"Is there anyone else you could talk to? Major Hayes, perhaps?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

"Anyone else at home?"

"I've tried to set up times to video chat but everyone's been pretty busy with kids and family commitments."

"Hm."

The only sound that prevailed for the next few minutes was the chittering of the fruit bat and Professor Phlox scribbling on papers.

Jasmine had originally come to his office asking for advice on her final project for his class, and ended up staying when he brought Teddy out to eat and exercise. She didn't normally hang out with her professors, but early on in the term she and Phlox had started an ongoing conversation about the state of the world, and the conversation had naturally evolved into a sort of friendship. It was more of a mentorship really. She had far more to learn from him than he could ever learn from her.

She took a sip of Turkish coffee, which was something Professor Phlox had recently introduced to her. To say it was strong was an understatement, but she thought she was beginning to get used to it.

"Malcolm would give you excellent advice, if you gave him a chance."

She choked, frightening Teddy into a mild tizzy of flapping wings.

She swallowed the coffee with a gasp. "I don't think we know each other well enough for that."

"I thought you two have been getting along swimmingly."

She firmly avoided Phlox's knowing gaze. "Yeah we get along, but we're friends-ish. We can only get so close before it becomes, you know... I mean he's my professor! It would be..."

She cast around for the right word.

"Inappropriate?"

"Exactly!"

"Our code of conduct doesn't say you can't create platonic relationships with your students. Look at us. You're here, in my office, and we're talking about your family troubles."

"Well this is different."

"Because of our gap in age?"

"No, it's not that."

"There would be nothing wrong with you seeking his advice unless you believe he has some sort of ulterior motive. Do you believe he harbors romantic feelings towards you?"

"What? No! Not at all."

"Then perhaps it is you who has feelings for him."

Jasmine made a disbelieving noise, but when his eyebrows rose, she floundered. "That's ridiculous! I can't... it's not..."

It didn't matter how much she tried to deny it, she knew the truth was waving across her face like a bright red flag.

"It's perfectly natural for you to have developed a romantic interest in him. He's an excellent, upright fellow with a great deal of intelligence. From a logical standpoint, you and he are a very compatible couple."

She tried, and failed to come up with a good excuse. Eventually she threw up her hands in defeat. "Okay fine! So I like him a lot. More than a lot, but I don't think he has any feelings for me other than a professional interest."

"Malcolm is a difficult man to know. He likes to keep things very close to the vest. He may, like you, have feelings but believe he cannot express them because of your current predicament."

"I would be so lucky." She muttered. Then, "At least Christmas break is finally here. It'll give me some time to think and get over this weirdness."

Phlox didn't speak for several seconds, which was never a good sign.

"'Get over it'. You've said that phrase several times today and on many previous occasions. It makes me wonder what exactly you're trying to get over. Your feelings? There's no such thing as getting over your feelings, and I don't think you should have to. Just because they're inconvenient does not mean they're something you shouldn't pursue."

"I know that it's just…" She leaned forward in agitation. "What am I supposed to do? The only way I made it through the last half of this term was by pretending we're just friends!"

"'Friends-ish' is what you called it, I believe."

She made a sound of frustration, and there was a moment of silence as she brooded and Phlox watched her.

"I suppose you're right. You're his student, he's your professor, there's nothing more you can do."

Jasmine shot him a look. His eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Of course, you won't be his student forever. Things can change in a moment. He may not be a professor in a month or a year, who knows what the future may hold? But you're right, your hands are tied."

She watched him suspiciously. "What's your point professor?"

"My point is that you always have a choice. You can choose to sit back and believe that there's nothing you can do, or you can choose to take action. Right now you're making the easiest choice, but will that make you happy?"

"I don't know what would make me happy." She muttered.

"But you do, and this entire conversation has proved it. You just don't want to admit it out loud because it will make things difficult," He leaned forward with a look of empathy, "I don't think I need to remind you that all the best things in life are difficult. I don't know your heart's desires of course, but from what I can see, running away from this reality is making you very unhappy."

Was she unhappy?

She hadn't had the time to take stock of her emotions lately, it felt like there were so many more important things to do with her time. But Phlox was right, she hadn't been herself for a while, and part of the reason was because of-

A knock at the door interrupted the thought.

"Would you mind getting that please? I'm afraid I'm a little blocked in at the moment."

She nodded mutely and gently gathered the bat into her hands. Thankfully it had become tired after its meal and was largely comatose.

A flash of yellow streaked through the door as soon as she opened it. A second later it became clear that it was a beagle in a yellow coat and booties, and it had zeroed in on her half a sandwich on the arm of the couch.

"Porthos! Stop!"

"Why Captain Archer! It's good to see you again sir." Phlox got to his feet with an enormous smile, "Please, come in!"

A tall man stepped through the door. He was wearing a snow-dusted winter coat and baseball cap, which he swept off his head when he saw her.

"This is one of my students, Jasmine Brookhurst."

She extricated her hand from the bat's claw to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you Jasmine," His eyes crinkled nicely at the corners when he smiled, "I'm sorry about your sandwich."

"It's alright, I was done with it anyways."

The little dog came trotting over, licking his lips and looking completely unapologetic about his thievery. She bent down to give him a little pat on the head.

"And Malcolm, what a pleasant surprise! We were just talking about you. Don't worry, it was all good things."

Her head flew up and there all her troubles stood in the doorway.

Malcolm Reed.


	8. old Friend(s)

Michaelmas was officially over for Malcolm Reed. All he had left was to input the last of the official paperwork into the portal on his laptop, and that was something he could do from the train.

Free at last from one responsibility, and on to the next. He looked up at the snowy sky and stifled a sigh.

He wasn't looking forward to Christmas this year. He knew exactly how it would be. He'd have to sit through an uncomfortable dinner arguing with father about his life choices while his mother pretended it wasn't happening. His aunt would fuss over him, telling him that he didn't eat enough and ask when he was going to settle down and get married. His sister and brother-in-law would be there with his nieces, and while he loved Madeline as much as any brother could, he almost hoped the forecasted storm would be enough to shut down the trains. He'd have to spend Christmas alone, but at least he'd be un-bothered and have some time to think.

A muscle ticked in his cheek.

That was the problem. He hadn't been able to think straight ever since Jasmine… well, he couldn't blame his restlessness entirely on her. He'd been feeling this way for some time before she arrived in his life, but she certainly wasn't helping anything. When she was around, rational thought flew out the window. He said and did things that were so out of character that even his colleagues had begun to take notice.

That's why he'd taken special pains to avoid her over the last few weeks. He'd hoped that by keeping his distance he'd be able to regain some version of normalcy… Or sanity.

Needless to say, it wasn't working. He was discontent. His old routines had started to feel like a slow funeral march while doubts filled his mind. During unguarded moments, the voice that he'd kept locked away for so long would steal back into his mind.

He wandered the icy courtyard in brooding silence, his thoughts as unruly as the snow that swirled around him until the dampened crunch of footfalls caught his attention. A man was walking towards him in a blue coat, head down against the flurry. His peculiar stride piqued an old memory, but it was the furry companion beside him that brought it into sharp focus

"Captain Archer!"

A fatherly face appeared beneath the black NASA cap. "Well if it isn't my favorite British officer."

Malcolm immediately came to attention.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Jonathan Archer smiled.

Malcolm had always thought that Trip's old commanding officer was an awe-inspiring man. He was very unassuming at first glance, but it quickly became apparent that he was a force to be reckoned with.

"It's good to see you Sir," Malcolm shook his hand then looked down at the dog jingling around by his feet," And Porthos."

The dog was sniffing his boots, wearing a yellow raincoat and wellies.

Archer looked sheepish. "The outfit was a gift from a friend last Christmas. Considering the weather here lately, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring it out of the back of my closet."

"Indeed."

"How've you been Malcolm? It's been too long since we've heard any news of you from Trip."

"I know sir, and I'm very sorry for it. I've been quite busy with meetings and preparing for the exams and classes next term. I rarely have time to myself these days."

Archer nodded, squinting around the courtyard. There was an all too familiar tilt to the corner of his mouth that hinted he was thinking about something other than the buildings.

"Speaking of Trip, have you been in contact with him lately?"

"Not in the last few weeks, but he did mention your visit to the ESA last time we talked."

Captain Archer was set to become the Commanding Officer of the highly anticipated collaboration with the European Space Agency for mankind's first Mars Mission. Trip was to be his Chief Engineer.

"Do you mind my asking what brings you to Oxford sir? It's quite a distance from Paris."

"I had some time before I was needed back at the Cape, so I thought I'd come by and have a chat with my new Chief Medical Officer, face to face."

"Who do you mean sir?"

"Do you know Doctor Jonathan Phlox?"

Malcolm couldn't hide his surprise. "Phlox is going to be your Chief Medical Officer?"

"He said he wouldn't miss it for the world." Archer looked at him keenly.

Malcolm couldn't quite get his mind wrapped around this new piece of information. He had no idea Phlox had an interest in space exploration, let alone would consider going along on a three year mission to Mars. He now had not two, but three acquaintances who were going to make their mark in the history books.

The thought made him feel sick with envy.

"You know, Oxford is a pretty impressive place, but seems a little too quiet for an ex-army officer."

"You have no idea."

Archer chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You free at the moment? I could use some help finding Doctor Phlox's office."

"I believe I can squeeze you into my schedule."

"Good."

Malcolm led the way out of the snowy courtyard, Porthos jingling merrily behind them.

"I'm actually glad I bumped into you, I was going to try and hunt you down after my meeting. There's something I wanted to speak to you about."

That piqued his interest. "And what's that sir?"

"Why don't we discuss it over dinner? If you're free that is?"

"I have no plans at the present moment."

"Perfect."

They walked for a time in silence.

"Have any plans for Christmas?" Archer asked eventually.

"Just the usual visit to my parents house in Chelsea. Dinner and all the accompanying festivities. And you sir?"

"I'll be spending Christmas like a lab rat. There's a lot we still need to iron out before launch."

"Was your time at the ESA as successful as you'd hoped?"

"If you're asking if we managed to persuade them to move up the launch date? No, but considering they're providing us with their best Science and Medical Officer for the mission, I'm doing my best not to complain."

"Science Officer?"

The Captain made a noise of dissent. "Trip was handling things fine on his own, but for whatever reason NASA believed he needed more assistance. So they went over my head to ask the ESA for help. They were happy to do it, but they had a few stipulations. They demanded that we replace our science officer with one of theirs, a Commander Tejal Polekar. I met her when I was down at headquarters."

"Commander Polekar, now why does that name sound familiar..." Malcolm frowned, "You don't mean T'Pol do you?"

Archer's eyebrows rose. "T'Pol?"

"Thin, dark skinned, short brown hair. I thought my CO had no sense of humor, and then she transferred to our unit. Some of the junior officers had a difficult time pronouncing her name, so they created a nickname for her during basic training."

"And she was okay with that?"

"She said that it would simplify things for her."

"Huh. Doesn't really seem like the type to take a joke."

"I think she just got tired of correcting them," The corner of his mouth lifted, "I'm sure she and Trip will get along like cats and dogs."

He chuckled. "I'll be sure to keep you updated."

"Thank you Captain."

The sound of voices greeted them as they approached Phlox's office. Malcolm guessed it was probably a student since it was still office hours, but he didn't think Phlox would mind an interruption considering the guest he was bringing with him.

He rapped his knuckles on the door, and it suddenly opened from the inside.

Porthos bolted through before it was fully open.

"Porthos! Stop!"

"Why Captain Archer! It's good to finally meet you in person. Please, come in!" He heard Phlox stand up across the room. "This is one of my students, Jasmine Brookhurst."

His mouth went dry.

"Nice to meet you Jasmine. I'm sorry about your sandwich."

"It's alright, I was done with it anyways."

He was contemplating a desperate escape when Captain Archer shifted out of the doorway, and Phlox caught his eye.

"And Malcolm, what a pleasant surprise! We were just talking about you. Don't worry, it was all good things."


	9. Revelations

He kept his eyes carefully averted as she closed the door behind him. He didn't even want to think about why they'd been talking about him behind closed doors.

"When were you going to tell me you were leaving Oxford to work for NASA?"

"I was one of the main candidates for the position when the program was finally approved, but the decision wasn't finalized until a few days ago. Considering the rocky road it's been to get this mission off the ground, I'm sure you can appreciate that I didn't want to celebrate prematurely."

Malcolm knew he was right, but that didn't stop the sharp pain from stabbing him in the chest.

Phlox went on happily. "I wanted to tell you, but since I won't be leaving until after next term I thought we'd have plenty of time to discuss the change. And considering we'll still be working closely together..."

Archer made a funny coughing noise, drawing Malcolm's frown of confusion.

"What exactly does he mean by that sir?"

Archer was rubbing his chin, covering a wince. Or perhaps it was a smile. "That's what I was hoping to speak to you about later."

"Ah, it seems I've been a bit premature." Phlox chuckled to himself, leaving Malcolm's heart pounding inexplicably.

Porthos' bark drew everyone's attention towards the sofa. The pup was trying to get to Jasmine's lap, where she was holding a small black furry object. It was wriggling madly, and she brought it close to her chest with a murmur.

"Porthos, down!" Archer commanded.

The dog ignored him.

Archer pulled at the leash and knelt down to capture the dog in his arms. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright." Her smile was swift, and was quickly replaced by a look of concentration as she tried to keep the creature from escaping.

"Malcolm my boy, would you mind giving her a hand? It appears that my bat doesn't agree with Captain Archer's dog."

"You want me to hold it?" Malcolm stammered.

"Only until he's back in his cage. Jasmine knows how to open it."

He woodenly approached the sofa and tried to think about the best way to dislodge the agitated creature. Jasmine continued to coo and rub a finger over its back. After a few seconds it finally sat still under her calming touch.

"Open your hands and I'll try to hand him off," she said quietly, "I don't think he'll fly away now."

"Er, alright. If you think it's best." He opened his palms as she tried to nudge the creature forward. It stayed put.

Malcolm felt a moment of relief, but the anxiety returned as Jasmine gently coaxed it out of her palm. His breath turned ragged as it crawled into his hand. Leathery wings rubbed dryly against his clammy skin, it's claws searching for a hold.

"It's okay, he won't hurt you."

He wasn't sure whether she was talking to him or the animal until her hand closed around his. It was warm and soft, and her encouraging smile hit him like a jolt of lightning.

He couldn't seem to look away, and he didn't want her to let go.

He was disappointed when she broke contact. "Let me get the cage."

She made for the other side of the room. He followed slowly, praying that the hellish creature wouldn't sense the dog and whip back up into a frenzy. He didn't want to embarrass himself by dropping it to the floor or beating an undignified retreat.

Though he wasn't above doing so if the need arose.

Thankfully it did not prove necessary. He didn't breathe comfortably again until the bat was back on its perch and the cage door was locked securely behind it.

"See, that wasn't so bad." She said as she slipped a black towel over the metal bars.

"No."

She moved to pull that curl away from her face, but stopped when she saw her hands. "I should probably get these washed."

"That's a sensible idea." Phlox chimed in, "And why don't you go with her Malcolm? I still have a few things I need to discuss with Captain Archer, and you clearly have some things you need to uh... resolve for yourself."

There was a kind of strange twinkle in the Doctor's eye as he said these words, and even Captain Archer seemed to be repressing a look of amusement. Malcolm could feel the heat rising up from his collar. "I'm not sure what you mean."

Archer nodded towards him. "Your hands Lieutenant."

He looked down, and his face soured as he saw the small present the bat had left in his palm. "You're quite right."

"Off you go then."

And just like that he was dismissed.

Jasmine moved off and he followed, keeping his head held high even as he saw the two men exchanging glances out of the corner of his eye.

They knew. This was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid, but he couldn't have even if he'd tried. It was cursed luck she'd touched him.

The two walked in awkward silence all the way to the loo at a discrete distance apart. He didn't want anyone else catching sight of them and making assumptions. They separated silently at the bathrooms and while inside he took special care to regain his composure.

Besides his hands, he washed his face and brushed fingers through his hair before stepping back outside. She was waiting for him.

He put his hands behind his back as they looked at each other in silence.

"So... you don't like bats."

"I'm not fond of most animals," He said stiffly, "We don't tend to get along."

"Teddy was comfortable with you."

"I'll be happy if I never have to set eyes on it again." He repressed a shudder at the memory of its hot, leathery body inside his hands.

"I'm sorry you had to help."

Her apology was so sincere that he lost most of his ire. He had to admit, even though he'd taken such pains to avoid her he was glad to finally see her again.

They started back down the hall at an unhurried pace.

"You have a few more finals to finish I believe?"

"Just Philosophy and Economics, then I'm home free."

"I suppose you'll be heading back to family for Christmas."

"Yeah. I'm glad to be going home, but things are going to be a little different this year."

Her tone of voice gave him pause, and a strange thought suddenly occurred to him. Jasmine was a very beautiful girl, and she might have a boyfriend waiting for her in California.

The idea made him ill.

She went on, oblivious. "We're supposed to spend Christmas Eve together with my family, but this is my sister's first Christmas with her boyfriend, so she's going to his house on Christmas Day."

"And you?"

He hadn't meant for the question to slip out so boldly, but she didn't seem to notice. "I'll be spending the night with my parents and then we're going to go to Disneyland. It's a family tradition."

Her words barely registered as he tried to figure out how to ask her if she had a boyfriend. He couldn't help thinking at the same time that it was none of his business and he shouldn't care.

Also, that he'd possibly gone mad.

"What about you?"

"Hm? Oh, I'll be at my parents' for dinner on Christmas Day, and then on Boxing Day I'll be spending some time with my sister and nieces."

"That sounds nice. Jeremiah is going to see his brother and his family for Christmas too. You know it seems like there's only a few single people left in our age group. Most of my friends are already married with kids. I mean- I'm so sorry, I guess I just assumed you were single."

She looked embarrassed, but relief flooded through him. She was single!

"You assumed correctly."

"Oh good."

He was still staring at her as the look of horror crossed her face.


	10. The Disaster Artist

It took a few seconds for her to connect the strange look on his face to the words that had just come out of her mouth. Her face was instantly hot. If there was actually a good time to die from embarrassment it would be now. Since that event seemed fairly unlikely to occur, she scrambled to recover.

"I-I just meant that I'm glad that I didn't totally assume wrong, not good that you're single because I mean- I don't even know if you're happy being single or if you... you know...want to find someone or..."

She stumbled to a halt as a small smile turned up the corner of his mouth.

"Oh man." She groaned and put a hand up to cover her burning face. "I'm sorry, I'm just going to shut up now. I have no idea what I'm saying. It's been a long week and I'm tired."

"There's no need to apologize."

"You just make me so nervous."

"Do I?"

"Well yeah, you're just so... so..."

"Intimidating," He finished bleakly, "Serious."

"No! It's just that I have trouble talking to people I find attractive."

This time she didn't even wait long enough to see his response, but closed her eyes and prayed that God would reach down from heaven and strike her dead.

Yet his silence was so complete that she had the insane idea that maybe he hadn't heard her. Or better yet, that this was all a very bad dream and maybe if she counted to ten and opened her eyes she'd find herself back in bed.

Her hope was short lived. He cleared his throat before she made it to the count of four.

"You find me attractive?"

Her insides twisted painfully. When she peeked at him from the corner of her eye, he was staring at the ground, frowning. She didn't find that particularly encouraging. While talking to Phlox she'd only entertained the idea of telling Malcolm how she felt for a moment. Suffice it to say that word vomiting her feelings hadn't exactly been in the top five of her ideal scenarios.

She wasn't sure if there was any way to salvage the situation. Maybe at this point the best way forward was to be completely honest and admit her feelings.

Or maybe someone would drop a stack of books on her head and put her out of her misery.

"Why were you and Phlox talking about me earlier?"

Or not.

"He was giving me advice."

"Advice."

He was clearly putting two and two together, she could see it on his face. While his expression was typically similar to a blank page, at this moment he was an open book. She wasn't sure which one she preferred, especially after he looked her in the eye. He stared into her soul, and for whatever reason she couldn't bring herself to look away.

"What kind of advice would he be giving to you about me?"

"Oh, you know," She swallowed hard, "relationship advice."

"I don't suppose you're referring to the type of relationship laid out for us in the school ordinances."

"Er... no."

"Friendship?"

"Well yes... and no."

"I would like us to be friends."

Her heart quickened. "Me too, but… Just friends?"

She bit her lip. Was that hope that flickered in his eyes? He schooled his features before she could be sure. At some point in the last few minutes they'd made it back to Phlox's office and had stopped outside the door.

Her heart leaped in her chest as he opened his mouth to respond. He was interrupted by the door opening behind them, followed by a hearty laugh.

"I'm glad we had the chance to officially meet Captain. Please send me the logs from the archives, I'd very much enjoy looking them over."

"Of course."

Disappointment flooded into the space created by Malcolm as he hastily stepped away from her.

Captain Archer was the first to notice them standing there, and she could only imagine what they must have looked like.

"Malcolm," Captain Archer said with a grin, "You ready to get something to eat?"

"Yes sir." Malcolm seemed eager to be gone.

"It was nice to meet you Jasmine."

"It was nice to meet you too," she knew her smile was strained and tried to hide it by bending down to pet the expectant beagle, "Nice to meet you too Porthos."

The little dog wagged his tail.

"Aren't you going to say good-bye to your friend Lieutenant?"

"Yes, of course," he could barely meet her gaze, "good-bye Miss Brookhurst."

"Bye Malcolm." She said sadly.

She felt a strange mixture of pain and relief as she watched them leave. While she was desperate to know the answer to her question, she was glad that the truth was finally out there. Phlox had been right about that at least.

"So?" Phlox asked expectantly.

Tears filled her eyes. "It was a disaster."


	11. The Important Proposition

Well that was a bloody fiasco.

Malcolm had never thought of himself as a coward, but he still found himself hiding from Captain Archer behind a fake interest in his plate.

She wanted to be more than friends with him! His mind was dizzy at the prospect, but he wasn't sure what on Earth he was supposed to do about it. His hands were tied. She was still his student, and he would be gone before the end of finals on Friday. He wouldn't be able to speak with her until next term.

A very bloody fiasco indeed.

Archer sent him a sideways look, and he forced himself to take a bite. The Captain had always been a keen man, keener than most, which is why he'd been the top candidate for Commanding Officer of man's first mission to Mars. That being said, it made hiding things from him extremely difficult. Let's say, impossible.

He just hoped that whatever the Captain needed to talk to him about would be of greater importance than Malcolm's disastrous personal life.

"Now that we've got some time, I hope you don't mind if I get right down to business."

Relief coursed through him. "By all means."

"As you know, I came to England to visit the ESA and meet with Commander- T'Pol was it?- and Doctor Phlox. But the truth is, those weren't my only reasons. I wanted to talk to you as well."

"Is there something I can do for you sir?"

"I want you to join my team."

Malcolm stared at him blankly.

"We need a good Mission Specialist, and I believe you would be a perfect fit for the position."

The full implications of what he was asking finally set in, causing Malcolm to sit back in his seat. "You want me to join the Mars mission?"

"You have all the necessary qualifications."

"What about Erika Hernandez?"

Archer took a moment to savor a sip of coffee. Porthos whined at his feet and he reached down to give him a scratch. "What about her?"

"Her nephew was in one of my classes this year, and he informed me that his Aunt was going to be the Mission Specialist."

"While the mission was still in the planning stage, she was the top candidate. However, Erika rightly felt herself to be overqualified for the position. She's now slated to become the Commanding Officer of the second Mars mission. I know it's a little premature, but a few years or so after we've returned triumphant they're going to want to send another crew to begin testing for potential colonization."

"But I've never even considered…"

Him? Become an... astronaut? It seemed too fantastic to consider, a childhood dream that had somehow slipped into reality. His whole body was buzzing, his head swimming with the possibilities.

"I've already talked over all my options with NASA, but I want you. They said they were willing to take you on as a potential candidate providing you can pass all their tests. I feel confident you'll be just fine with whatever they can throw at you."

"But I have no experience in space flight. I'm a professor of physics, I don't even know what a Mission Specialist is let alone what the position entails."

"We still have a few years before the launch, and NASA is nothing if not thorough. You'll be well prepared by the time launch day arrives."

As much as he appreciated Captain Archer's vote of confidence, Malcolm wasn't entirely convinced. Excited? Yes, but certainly there were others far more qualified than himself for the position.

"Why me Sir?"

Captain Archer tilted his head in a manner very similar to the way Porthos cocked his head in response to a question he didn't understand.

"Of all the good men and women you know in the military circuit, why did you think of me?"

"In case you've forgotten, I was your professor once."

"I haven't forgotten sir."

"Then you should know better than anyone why I chose you. Of all my students, you were the one who worked the hardest to understand everything there was to know about astrophysics, quantum physics, theoretical physics, exobiology, you name it. It seemed like you couldn't get enough, so much so that I had to start sending all your questions to someone with a lot more knowledge of the subject than myself."

Archer gave him a slow, searching look. "You and Trip were dreamers. You used to pursue truth with such passion, unsatisfied until you found it out for yourself. Now I can't help wondering if maybe..."

He let the sentence hang, but Malcolm didn't need him to explain any further. He'd had such dreams, but after that night in jail with Trip, his father had bullied him into putting them somewhere on a back shelf, only to be dusted off and looked at during his darkest moments.

"If you need some time to think it over that's completely understandable, but I'll need your answer no later than the first of the year."

"Thank you sir."

If Malcolm were to be completely honest with himself, he wanted to say yes, no questions asked. But he had many things to consider. Family obligations, his career, the future…

He ran his fingers roughly through his hair. Part of the reason he he'd chosen a career in the Army instead of the Navy, besides being aquaphobic, was that it had given him freedom. Freedom from his father's thumb, his rules, his expectations. It had been a dream come true. But the dream had come to an abrupt end when he came back home and his father immediately found him a job at the University. Now he was more stuck than ever.

He felt a small spark of hope. Maybe this was his opportunity for real change. Maybe…

He needed to think very carefully about this. It was no easy decision. This could drastically alter the course of his life forever. Despite his ironclad cynicism, he still felt a thrill go through him at the thought of it.

He was still deep in thought when he realized Captain Archer was staring at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry sir, did you ask me something?"

"I was simply wondering if everything was alright over there. You've been frowning at your plate for the last several minutes."

"I've just been thinking."

"You've hardly touched your food."

"I guess I don't have a very big appetite at the moment."

"You used to say the same kind of thing before exams," Archer smiled fondly at a memory, "Old habits die hard?"

Malcolm blew out his breath. "Rightly said Sir. I could really use something stronger than coffee at the moment."

"The last time you said that, you and Trip ended up in jail for indecent exposure."

"It was a misunderstanding."

He chuckled. "I'm sure it was."

His watch beeped and he checked it with a frown. "I'm afraid it's time for me to head back. I need to catch a train in about… thirty minutes if I'm going to make it back to the hotel in time for my meeting."

"I understand."

"I'd ask you to seriously consider my offer, but it seems like you already are."

Captain Archer threw down a large bill and stood up to slip on his jacket. "You know, another perk of his position is that you'd be free to pursue relationships. I had an interest in Erika while we were working together, but the University made it complicated."

Malcolm found himself thrown by the abrupt change in conversation. "Indeed?"

"When I was hired by NASA all that changed. They didn't see a problem with interdepartmental romances. I'd say it's worked out pretty well since then."

He'd had no idea that Archer and Captain Hernandez were a couple, let alone had been one since Malcolm had been at school. He was still struggling to find the relevance of this information when Archer went on.

"I hope you won't mind taking some advice from a man with some life experience. Take a chance and ask Jasmine out on a date. She seems to like you, and if I'm not mistaken, you like her too. From what Phlox tells me, she's worth the risk."

"I… I don't know..." He swallowed back the lie as soon as he saw Archer's eye brow lift. He straightened his back. "I mean I'll think about it, Sir."

"Good. See you around Lieutenant. And Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Sir."


	12. A Christmas Miracle

"Attention all passengers of Norwegian Air Flight 237 to Los Angeles, we regret to inform you that your flight has once again been delayed due to the storm..."

The rest of the announcement was drowned out by a loud collective groan in the busy Heathrow terminal. Jasmine slouched back down into her seat with a heavy sigh. The day really couldn't get any worse. At this rate it looked like she might be spending Christmas Eve sitting in an airport with hundreds of unhappy people. It was not the most ideal spot for a holiday.

Merry Christmas. She thought glumly, and rubbed at her tired eyes.

She'd been up for almost twenty four hours now, unable to close her eyes because of all the gate changes and updates. Not to mention the terminal was so loud she could hardly think straight.

She looked at her phone and willed the wi-fi to work. Due to the storm and the sheer amount of people stuck inside the airport, the internet was sketchy at best. She'd barely managed to send a message to her family letting them know about the delay before the system had crashed completely. She sent the message almost ten hours ago, and she still hadn't received a response.

Well, there's no point in sticking around here any more.

After indulging in a good stretch, she packed up her backpack and went in search of food. She'd finished off the snacks she'd packed for the flight home hours ago, and since it appeared she'd be stuck at the airport indefinitely, she didn't want to buy anything from an overpriced on-the-go shop. The Thai restaurant she chose put her in front of a large window, and after ordering she rested her head in her hand to stare out into the endless white of the tarmac.

The snow was really coming down, and it made her ache for the clear skies and warm temperatures of California. She wondered what her family was doing, if they got her message and were worried about her. She hoped her missing Christmas wouldn't spoil it for anyone. She didn't want to think about everything she was going to miss out on: the smell of spiced candles and baked goods, twinkling lights, warm hugs and good music. Everything that she'd been missing out on suddenly seemed so much more important now that she realized she might not have them this year.

She hardly stirred from her position even after her food came. As hungry as she was, she was tired to the bone.

"It's pretty bad out there, isn't it?"

She barely recognized that the voice was speaking to her until she turned her head. It took her a moment for her eyes to finally come into focus.

She sat up straight with a gasp. "Captain Archer!"

He smiled warmly. "I take it you're on one of the delayed flights back to the U.S."

"Yes, to L.A." She nervously tucked a flyaway hair behind her ear, suddenly aware of her unkempt appearance. "I'm not sure how long the delay will be, but they said it shouldn't be more than twenty four hours."

"That means you won't land until Christmas Eve at the earliest." He said with a slight frown.

"Yeah, but it'll be alright," She said, trying to sound more positive than she felt, "If I don't make it back in time for Christmas we'll figure out some other way to celebrate. I'll have a whole month with them before I have to come back for next term, so it's not the end of the world."

"That's a good way to look at it."

She didn't mention that the very idea of missing Christmas made her want to cry, but she swallowed her disappointment. "What about you? I believe Doctor Phlox said you were going to Florida?"

He nodded. "Our flight boards in an hour."

Jasmine noticed Porthos staring up at her and scratched his ears. "It won't be affected by the storm?"

"Working for NASA has its perks. They found a way to circle around it. It'll take a few hours longer than usual, but we'll make it."

"That's really nice," Jasmine answered, somewhat wistfully, "You'll be home soon then."

"Looks like it." His head tilted as the PA system sounded.

"Jonathan Archer to Gate 5, Jonathan Archer, Gate 5."

"It looks like that's my call. It was good to see you again Jasmine. Brookhurst, right?"

"Yes. I hope you have a safe trip home Captain, and a Merry Christmas."

"Thank you, same to you." He tilted his head. "I have a feeling you'll make it home right on time."

"I hope so." She said fervently.

He smiled and left with a wave.

Despite her outward good spirits, Jasmine couldn't help feeling annoyed that NASA had somehow managed to make a flight happen for him while she and everyone else had to stick it out through the storm. She supposed that was one perk to working for the government, and she hoped one day to be able to take advantage of that perk too. Being a NASA engineer would be a dream come true.

She ate and tried not to think about how she was going to fill the long voids of time that were slowly crawling by. She hadn't expected to wait for this long, and hadn't brought much in her carry on except her phone, headphones, and an informational book Phlox had lent her about quantum theory.

After eventually paying for her food, she began to wander some of the more expensive shops. The more tired she got, the more her mind inevitably strayed back to the one person she didn't want to think about.

"I'm sorry we didn't get the chance to speak before you returned to California, but I hope we may have the opportunity to do so when you return for Hillary."

It was a short missive, but at least he'd had the kindness to email her. She hadn't yet been able to come up with a response. Despite Phlox's assurances, she couldn't shake the feeling that things would not work out between them. If only the Doctor hadn't opened the door at that exact moment, Malcolm might have...

What? There were only two options here. He would either tell her that he felt the same, or that he didn't. But she thought she'd rather have a flat out rejection than this terrible sense of anticipation and dread.

"Would Jasmine Brookhurst please report to Gate 5. Once again, would Jasmine Brookhurst please report to Gate 5."

It took her a moment to realize they were calling her. After several minutes of getting turned around, she somehow found her way to Gate 5. She stepped up to the front desk somewhat tentatively.

"Jasmine Brookhurst?" The flight attendant asked brusquely.

"Yes."

"You were originally scheduled for Norwegian Air Flight 237 To Los Angeles?"

She nodded.

"We apologize for the delay. We recently had a cancellation on American Airlines Flight 6901 to Los Angeles. Is this something you'd like to take advantage of?"

Hope blossomed in her chest. "Definitely!"

"Very well, could I please have your passport."

She scrambled to hand it over.

The man was clicking away on the computer in silence until he handed it back. "Once you arrive in Orlando International, you will be transferred to a red eye flight on Delta Airlines scheduled to land in Los Angeles on the twenty-third at 5 am."

"Florida..." She looked around at the empty terminal. Wasn't Captain Archer going to Florida as well?

"Miss."

She whipped back around.

"What about my baggage?"

"It will be delayed a few days, but you will receive automated updates once it arrives in Los Angeles."

"Thank you."

She craned her neck to take a look at the people on the flight as she was ushered to her seat, but didn't see the Captain. Before she knew it she was buckling her seat belt and the plane was getting pushed back for taxi.

She couldn't keep the giddy smile off her face as she watched the airport pass by her window.

She was actually on her way back home! She had a feeling that she had Captain Archer to thank for it, and sent a little thank you his way.

It looked like it truly would be a Merry Christmas after all.


	13. A Very Reed Christmas

"Malcolm! Your mother asked you how classes were going."

Malcolm recognized the slight tinge of annoyance in his father's voice, and his heart sank. It appeared that tonight was going to be a typical Reed Christmas: lots of arguments and very little cheer.

He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry mother, I was lost in my thoughts."

"Thinking about something in particular? Or someone?"

He threw an irritated glance at his aunt Sherry, who had unfortunately been seated next to him at the dinner table. He'd already been the recipient of several bony elbows over the past hour, as well as many not-so-subtle references to his perpetual singleness.

"Classes are going well." He said, purposefully ignoring his aunt's squinting eyes. "I had several particularly bright travel abroad students whom I believe will go far if they apply themselves."

"Where are they from this year dear?"

"America."

His father grunted with some distaste.

Malcolm's face twitched. His father was always displeased by something.

Madeline sat forward to see around their aunt. "Do you expect to have them in any of your classes at Hillary?"

"Are any of them good, church going girls?"

"I expect most of them will be taking other classes," He winced as his aunt landed another elbow in his ribs, "and I'm sure that there were a few good church going girls among them."

"Presbyterians?"

"Methodist."

He realized he'd answered that far too quickly by the narrowing of his aunt's eyes and the sudden stiffness he sensed across the table.

"If I were to make an educated guess," He corrected, "I believe it is one of the largest religious denominations in America, although I can't be absolutely sure. It's against university policy to talk about religious views inside of the classroom."

"What about outside the classroom?"

"You know me father. I don't usually make it a habit of fraternizing with my students outside of the classroom environment."

He took a careful sip of wine, meeting his father's gaze with equal frankness. He hadn't exactly told a lie. Talking with students outside of class was very unusual for him, and he typically made a habit of avoiding it. Typically.

His father hemmed after a tense moment of silence. "And so you shouldn't. No good has ever come from it. It's the same as a close relationship between a commanding officer and a subordinate. It puts all kinds of outrageous ideas into their heads, like delusions of grandeur."

Malcolm knew he was referring to his friendship with Jonathan Archer, and though it rankled him he chose to remain silent.

"But such a situation is not as reprehensible as a romantic entanglement between the ranks, which in the Navy is a punishable offence."

"However that is not the case in academia."

"But it would cost you your position," His father's voice rose along with the ruddy tinge to his cheeks, "No woman is worth the risk."

"In your opinion."

"Because it's the truth!"

"Well if that's the way you feel about it, then I'm sure mother is grateful you were never forced to choose between them."

His mother gasped. "Malcolm!"

The shock in his father's eyes usually would have been satisfaction enough, but Malcolm found himself unable to stop there. "Just think father, if you'd stayed single, you wouldn't have to live with the shame of having your only son turn out to be such a disappointment."

He took another, larger sip of wine. The eyes of everyone at the table were glued to him and he set down his glass.

"And while we're on the subject of disappointment, I suppose now is as good a time as any to mention that I am planning on giving up my seat at Oxford for a position overseas. In Florida."

"Giving up your position!" Madeline asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing, except that I've finally found what I want to do with the rest of my life. Or at least the foreseeable future."

His father had finally recovered the use of his voice, and some of his bluster was back. "And what exactly will you be doing overseas Malcolm? Are you finally going to listen to the advice of that American and go teach at some second rate college about astronomy?"

"No, but I will be joining NASA's Mission to Mars. Captain Archer is to be my commanding officer."

The silence that met this ultimatum was absolute, but it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Malcolm had been tiptoeing around the question for the last week and a half, unwilling to make a decision. Funny how it had taken his father's criticism to drive him to make it.

"NASA?" A little voice piped up from the end of the table, startling the adults. They'd all forgotten the children were still there.

"Are you going to be an astronaut uncle Malcolm?" The youngest, Agatha, asked him with wide eyes.

"As a matter of fact, I am."

The two little girls squealed.

"Oh Malcolm, do you really mean it?" Madeline asked.

"I do."

"Cheers mate." His brother-in-law toasted him with a grin.

"Thank you."

"Why, this is wonderful!" His sister gushed, "I remember as a boy you always dreamed of going to the stars."

His nieces had started whispering to each other in excited tones, and seeing the look of pride on his sister's face made him feel more confident about his decision.

"How did this happen?" His mother looked at his father, who was turning an unhealthy shade of purple.

"Captain Archer approached me with the offer before the break," He looked at his sister, "This is my opportunity to finally make my mark on history, and I'm going to pursue it with everything that I have."

Her smile turned watery, and she sniffed.

"This is preposterous!" His father sputtered. "If you thought about this for one moment-"

"I've thought about it at length actually, as I always do with such decisions. Nothing I do should ever come as a surprise to you father, or it wouldn't if you'd taken the time to know me at all."

He stood up from his seat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of things to do and some phone calls to make. I'm sorry I have to leave before dessert, mother. I'll see you tomorrow evening Madeline, Jerry. Girls."

"Bye uncle Malcolm!"

He left without a backward glance. The door shut firmly behind him, and he turned up the collar of his coat to forge against the wind to his car.

He wasn't sure if or when his father would ever recover from the news, but he hoped that his mother would eventually understand and be happy for him. Of the two of them, she was the most likely to try. For now, he at least had his sister and her family on his side, not to mention a handful of people overseas who would be thrilled to hear of his decision.

He closed the door of his car and smiled to himself. For the first time in years he was finally getting excited about his future, and there was only one thing left that would make this new chapter of his life complete.

And she was halfway across the world.


	14. Break point

Her time at home had passed in one big happy blur, and Jasmine now found herself back at Oxford. It was early Monday morning. She was curled up in the common room bundled in sweatpants and her warmest sweater, listening to her sister chatter on about her day.

"I totally went to the gym this morning and then blew all my hard work by going to get nachos with Jack."

"It happens." Jasmine yawned. She took a tentative sip of coffee before holding the warm cup more securely in her frozen hands.

"And I should not have eaten that extra slice of pie last night."

"Pie?"

"We had like half a pumpkin pie in the freezer from Christmas and I forgot about it until mom bought whipped cream. She brought it out after dinner last night."

"Oh yeah, how'd it go? Jack feeling more comfortable with mom now?"

"He seems fine, but he heaved a huge sigh of relief when we left. I think he's low-key scared she'll kill him if he looks at me sideways."

"Well, not that I blame him. Mom's scary."

"Yeah, I- HEY BUDDY, WHAT THE HECK THAT'S NOT EVEN LEGAL!"

Jasmine smothered a grin as she heard car horns honking angrily in the background.

"Sorry, this idiot thought the rules of the road didn't apply to him."

"It's fine."

"Hey you sound tired. What time is it over there anyway?"

"Five thirty."

"PM?"

"AM."

"WHAT? Get out of here, that's crazy! You should go back to bed, I can totally call you another time..."

"No, it's fine! I wanted to talk, remember? This is the only time I can do it. I've got a crazy week ahead of me."

"Alright, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure."

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled back to see a text message from Hayes: "Already getting lazy Brookhurst?"

It was just like him to check in on her. She shook her head and texted straight back: "Talking to my sis today. I'll be back to kicking your butt tomorrow."

It was embarrassing, but she'd bumped into him right after leaving Phlox's office last term. She hadn't wanted to involve him in her problems, but when she started to cry he'd been insistent. Eventually she spilled the story, and he'd been checking in on her almost every day over the last month.

"Alright, so when are you going to tell me more about you and Malcolm? Have you seen him yet? Has he finally asked you out and declared his undying love?"

A pang of disappointment burned in Jasmine's chest. "I haven't been able to talk to him."

"What? Why?"

"I don't have him for any more classes, so I'm not sure when I'm going to see him again."

The fact of the matter was, she'd talked to Phlox on her first day back and learned that Malcolm was no longer working at Oxford University. He'd accepted a job working at NASA, and was preparing to move there in the next month.

She wasn't exactly sure what to feel about the news. She was happy for him, but at the same time was incredibly disappointed. He hadn't bothered to tell her he wouldn't be coming back, and now she wasn't sure if they'd ever have that conversation he'd promised.

"Well you could casually go knock on his door during his office hours on some made up errand. Say you forgot to return a pen last term or something."

"I'm not going to do that."

"Jasmine, do you like the guy or don't you?"

"Of course I do, it's just-"

"Just nothing! You can't sit around and let this opportunity slip by. You guys go to the same coffee shops, don't you? Can't you talk to him then?"

"I mean, yeah..."

"Well then make it happen!"

"Lauren..."

"Alright, fine. I'll stop now." A brief pause. "How's Jeremiah?"

"Already hounding me about not getting back at the gym."

"He's pretty cute too."

"Lauren!"

"Hey I'm just saying! You said he was texting you almost every day during the break. You're still taking classes with him, right? And doing one-on-one session times with him at the gym?"

"Yeah, but it's not like that, he's just a good friend. Besides, I'm starting to think he's gay."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Her sister sighed. "Why are the cute ones always taken or gay?"

"You're really not helping my state of mind here."

"Sorry."

Her phone buzzed again: "I can accept that excuse. Enjoy talking to your sister. Stop by when you're done, I've got a spare pair of wraps for you. I'll leave them in your locker."

She liked the text before settling back a little further into her cushioned seat.

"It's strange he didn't answer you though." Lauren said, breaking the silence. "From what you've told me, it seems like he really liked you too."

Jasmine held back a resigned sigh. She should have known her sister wasn't going to let this drop. "Maybe I was reading him wrong. He's not exactly the most open guy in the world. He keeps things pretty close to the vest. I might have thought I saw something that wasn't really there."

"Maybe." Her sister sounded doubtful.

"I know you're just trying to help, but can we stop talking about this? Please?"

"Fine."

"Good."

Their conversation thankfully turned to lighter things. They talked for another twenty minutes before Jasmine looked at her watch and stood. "It's about time for me to say good-bye. I have to get ready for my first class."

"Alright." A heavy sigh. "I wish you weren't so far away. I mean, I'm glad you're travelling and stuff, but I wish I could be there with you..."

Jasmine pulled on her gloves and headed towards the gym. "We'll have to plan a trip when I get back. Get in one last sister adventure before you become Mrs. Jack Whittaker."

"We don't have to stop doing sister things once I get married!" Lauren balked. "We'll just have to be good about planning."

"You're right."

Neither seemed ready to say good-bye, and she was almost at the gymnasium doors when her sister sighed again.

"Well, I should probably let you go for real. Message me whenever you need to talk okay?"

"Alright. It probably won't be for another-"

Jasmine pushed open the door and stopped short at the scene before her.

"Jasmine? What's wrong?"

She couldn't tell what was happening at first, but then it all became shockingly clear. Jeremiah Hayes was lying face down in the middle of the floor, one arm pinned roughly behind his head by none other than Malcolm Reed. They were both breathing hard, bruises dotting their cheeks and flecks of blood staining the floor around them.

Malcolm leaned down to hiss in Jeremiah's ear. "See, you were looking at my hands when you should have been looking at my eyes."

As soon as Malcolm released his hold, Hayes gained his feet.

"Okay, Lieutenant."

"Major."

Jasmine watched in horror as fists began to fly.


	15. The Brawl

Malcolm finished his combination, then took a quick break to wipe his face. A sly look at the clock revealed that it was 5:45. It was unlike Jasmine to be late, but if she wasn't coming…

It would put a huge damper on his plans if she didn't show. He was technically on campus to finish cleaning out his office and have a meeting with Phlox, but he'd arrived early so he could make it to the gym and have the chance to speak with her in private.

He knew he owed her an answer to her question but he'd wanted to do it in person. These last few weeks had been the busiest Malcolm could remember. If he wasn't in a meeting he was doing phone conferences, answering emails, making travel plans. He simply hadn't had the time to do anything else. Today was all he had.

Another look at the clock. 5:46.

Damn.

If Jasmine was coming at all then she would have to be there in the next few minutes, especially if she was going to make it to her first class on time.

"I understand you're on the team for the Mission to Mars. Congratulations."

He and Hayes had been so steadfastly ignoring each other since he arrived that it was jarring to be so suddenly addressed. Malcolm shot him a cool nod.

"Interested in a sparring partner? I know you prefer to work alone, but-"

Malcolm only thought about it for a moment. He had spent an entire term watching Hayes spar with Jasmine, and had been grudgingly impressed by his skill. Now he had a chance to see what the man was made of for himself.

And since Hayes wasn't technically his student anymore...

Malcolm opened his arms wide. "Be my guest."

"Great."

The two slowly began to circle. Hayes anticipated Malcolm's first strike.

"I know we're not good friends, but I still can't understand why you took such pains to avoid me last term."

"I could say the same of you Major. You weren't exactly chomping at the bit to make conversation."

"Fair enough."

They danced around the floor, exchanging blows.

"I suppose I just assumed you didn't want to involve a former British officer in whatever you're doing over here. I was happy to oblige."

Hayes grunted. "I suppose the Vice-chancellor told you."

Malcolm scoffed. "You could give me some credit for being able to recognize a special operations agent when I see one, especially when he's posing as a student in my classroom."

"Not your classroom anymore."

"No indeed."

Conversation ceased as they went for each other at the same time, and simultaneously blocked each other's kicks. A few minutes passed. Sweat slicked the floor around them.

"Who do you work for?" Malcolm asked, breathing heavy, "Forrest? Harris?"

"That's classified."

The flying kick was so sudden that Malcolm was momentarily shocked to find himself laying on the floor. His face was numb. He shook his head to clear it, wincing as his tongue found the split lip.

Hayes was bouncing from foot to foot. "I am curious why you're here this morning. I know you didn't come all this way just to see me."

Malcolm spit blood and got to his feet. He put up his guard and sneered. "It's classified."

A small smirk formed at the corner of the Major's mouth. It wasn't there after Malcolm's elbow found the side of his head.

Harsh breaths filled the space between them as sweat and blood dripped to the floor. Hayes' right eye was beginning to swell shut.

"You know, she left last term feeling pretty bad. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Hayes was baiting him, he knew it. Before he could respond the door swung open. His head whipped around, but he couldn't tamp down his disappointment as a student slipped inside. He froze as he noticed the two men looked his way.

"As you were." Malcolm spat, and the young boy scurried out the door without a backward glance.

"She's not coming."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm not an idiot Lieutenant," Hayes huffed, "You should give me some credit for being able to detect your interest in Jasmine Brookhurst, even if she was a student in your classroom."

A nerve in Malcolm's cheek ticked. The Major always had a terribly superior air about him that rankled.

"Good forearm block. Nice back fist. Now show me the combination."

In one swift move Hayes parried Malcolm's attack and threw him to the ground. "You're improving."

Malcolm bared his teeth and got to his feet, moving so fast the Major didn't know what hit him until he went staggering backward.

Malcolm grinned. "You want to keep that left up."

Anger finally tinted the Major's features. There was a red smear on his cheek where Malcolm's knuckles had broken skin. He rolled his shoulders, his eyes narrowing.

"That's it," Malcolm mocked, "stay loose, excellent."

Parry, dodge, body blow. "That's it, you're improving."

One sweeping move laid Hayes out on the floor. Malcolm pinned him to the ground, then leaned down to hiss in his ear. "See, you were looking at my hands when you should have been looking at my eyes."

He released his hold on Hayes' neck, and the man immediately gained his feet. Anger radiated off him in waves.

"Okay, Lieutenant."

Finally this was starting to get interesting. He put up his hands and waved him forward with a grin. "Major."

The door shuddered out of the corner of his eye, and the distraction was enough to give Hayes an advantage. He was unable to counter the swift blow to his side.

"Tell me something," Hayes huffed, dodging a retaliatory punch, "Why won't you just admit it?"

"Admit what?"

"That you have feelings for her."

"That's none of your business." Malcolm got in a well-aimed kick, and took a moment to crow as Hayes fell to one knee.

"She's my friend," Hayes held a hand to his side and coughed, "I don't want her to get hurt."

"I would never hurt her." His face ached as he worked his jaw, but he took comfort in the fact that Hayes looked every bit as bad as he felt. "In fact, I'm here for the chance to tell her…"

The movement was subtle, but Malcolm registered that Hayes' good eye had flicked away for the merest moment. He turned his head, and froze.

There was Jasmine standing at the door, staring at him with wide eyes.

His body went cold. "Jasmine?"

She was clutching her phone in front of her like a shield.

"Good sparring with you."

His head whipped around to catch the Major limping back to his locker. A sudden fury overtook his better judgement.

"Hayes!"

The Major turned in time to catch Malcolm as he tackled him to the ground. Just like that, the sparring match devolved into a brawl. Fists were flying with more blind rage than finesse. They were both tired, but Malcolm was pumped full of adrenaline and anger. He could no longer afford to lose this fight.

He summoned the last of his strength to pull off a combination that laid Hayes out on the floor.

"Malcolm, stop!"

The look of horror on her face was enough to shake Malcolm out of his rage. The Major sat in a daze, eyes unfocused. It took the man several moments before he could speak.

"What was that?"

"A little move I picked up from a Punjabi."

"You'll have to teach it to me sometime."

The corner of Malcolm's mouth turned up as he extended his hand and pulled Hayes to his feet. The Major's gaze was piercing, and after a moment or two an understanding seemed to pass between them.

Before anything more could be said, the door burst open and in strode Doctor Phlox. "What on Earth is going on here?"

"Nothing sir."

"Just a friendly sparring match sir."

Phlox bustled over holding a medical kit. "What were you thinking? When Jasmine told me that there was a fight, I hardly knew what to think."

Malcolm winced as he tried to swallow. "It was a little misunderstanding."

"But we've handled it Sir."

"Yes, I'd say you two have handled things quite nicely. I mean really, brawling on school grounds? Surely you must know how that looks."

"As I am no longer under the school's jurisdiction, I saw no harm in-"

Phlox cut him off. "I'm surprised at you Lieutenant! You're now a part of a government affiliation and such behavior will no doubt be deemed as entirely reprehensible. You know I'm duty bound to report you to Captain Archer for this."

Malcolm blanched. "I understand Sir."

Hayes was standing at attention. "It wasn't his fault, Sir. I initiated it."

"And Lieutenant Reed finished it, so the blame is to be equally shared. I will have to report you to your superiors as well, Major, as you already know."

"Yes Sir."

"Good. Now report to the infirmary, both of you, and no arguments! You made quite a mess of each other. You're lucky I chose not to report you to the Vice-chancellor. I'm sure he would have a much harsher sentence for the both of you than a simple visit to the doctor's office."

Hayes paused at the door to exchange a quick hand squeeze with Jasmine, and she watched him go with a puzzled frown.

Before he could even think about moving towards her, Phlox put a hand on his arm. "Later Lieutenant."

The idea was not a happy one, but he knew he was right. He limped towards the door, and Jasmine turned her confusion on him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be alright."

"Your head is bleeding."

"I've had worse." All his senses felt razor sharp, despite the pain. He licked his swollen lip. "I'm sorry. I know I've behaved shamefully, but I'd like the chance to explain myself, if you'd let me."

"Alright, but... maybe we should talk when you aren't covered in blood." She released a nervous laugh.

"Yes," He cleared his throat and sent a sideways look at Phlox, who was watching him sternly, "Would I be able to see you later today?"

"I'll be out of class by 4."

"Excellent."

"Yeah."

She attempted a smile, and it brought him some comfort as he limped out the door.


	16. The Aftermath

"Doctor Phlox says you have a detached retina. Major Hayes, a bruised kidney."

Even separated by a video screen, Malcolm could feel Captain Archer's frustration as palpable as if he were standing right in front of him.

"I don't think I need to remind you that I'm under a lot of pressure here. I am preparing an entire team for a two year mission to Mars, something that has never been attempted before in human history. It's my job to talk to the press and be a government liaison. I have NASA and the ESA so far up my ass I can't even blink without them questioning my decisions, and then I get the call that one of my senior officers was admitted to the hospital because he suddenly regressed to the level of a five year old!"

"It wasn't like that sir."

"It wasn't like what?"

"It was a sparring match sir. Perhaps we got a little out of hand..."

"A little out of hand? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror recently Lieutenant?"

"Captain..."

"I don't want to hear who started it!" Archer's eyes flashed. "I got Phlox's full report. He said that he got the account from an eyewitness, and explicitly stated that you and Hayes had been bickering over a personal matter."

Malcolm swallowed hard. If the Captain already knew what they'd been arguing about, then there was no point in denying anything more.

"I take full responsibility sir. It won't happen again."

"Damn straight!"

Malcolm knew he fully deserved the Captain's ire. There was no excuse for such behavior, and he should have known better. What had he been thinking? Oh yes, he hadn't.

He tightened his jaw, wincing as the action sent jolts of pain across his face.

He needed to finish this thing once and for all. Jasmine was waiting for him, and the sooner they talked the sooner he'd finally be able to get out of his own head and back on schedule. If she could forgive him for punching her friend in the face, that is.

He watched Captain Archer blow out a breath and settle into his chair. "Is there anything else you need to say Lieutenant? It's late, and I need to get back to work."

"I'll talk to her right away, and get this settled."

The Captain stared at him blankly.

"I should have done so a long time ago, but I've had so much on my mind and I… I suppose I lost my nerve."

"Well you've certainly lost me Lieutenant."

"It's alright sir, I'm sure Doctor Phlox told you the whole story in the report," Malcolm raised his chin, "If I had just talked to her sooner, this situation may never have taken place."

"Her? Who exactly are we talking about here? Wait... " Captain Archer leaned forward with a bemused frown, "This isn't about Jasmine Brookhurst, is it?"

It was at that moment Malcolm realized Captain Archer hadn't known. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ah. I see. Doctor Phlox did not tell you."

"No he did not. But I'm glad you did, things are finally beginning to make a little more sense from where I'm standing."

The Captain was quiet for a moment. "You know, when I advised you to ask her out on a date, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

"I know what you mean Sir."

The stern tilt to Captain Archer's mouth loosened. "You really like this girl, don't you?"

"Yes Sir. I... Well I highly regard her."

"Highly regard her?"

"Yes Sir."

The Captain stared at him like he was crazy. "Lieutenant, there are many people in life you can highly regard: a commanding officer, a father figure, a very good friend. But let me tell you something, you don't get into fist fights that could cost you a prestigious career over a woman you just highly regard."

Malcolm sighed. "Just so Sir."

There was a long pause. "This won't go into your permanent record Lieutenant, but if something like this happens again I'll be forced to report you. Understood?"

"Yes Sir, thank you Sir."

"Good. And Lieutenant?"

"Yes Sir?"

An actual smile made its way onto Captain Archer's tired face. "Before you go see her, maybe take a hot shower first. You look like hell."

Malcolm grinned. "Yes sir!"

Jasmine sneaked a look at her watch. 4:35.

Time had gone by in a blur up until 4, then things had slowed to a crawl.

They'd been arguing about her.

Or at least, she was pretty sure they were. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around it yet. Everything had happened so quickly that she hadn't had time to stop and actually think about it. There had been so much blood, she still couldn't figure out where it all came from.

It had been pure desperation that caused her to call Doctor Phlox. It was clear something was going to go terribly wrong if someone didn't intervene, and he'd taken control of the situation so quickly.

She laid her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. She'd caught a glimpse of Jeremiah on her way to her third class, and she almost couldn't believe the amount of damage that had been done to his face. Damage administered by Malcolm. The moment Malcolm had tackled Jeremiah to the ground had been terrifying. She hoped she never saw that look on his face again.

"Jasmine?"

Her eyes flew open.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Jasmine was struck mute at the sight of him.

What Malcolm had done to Jeremiah had been bad, but Jeremiah certainly hadn't taken it lying down. Malcolm's face was a mottled collection of yellows, greens, and purples. His lip was being held together with ugly black thread, and he seemed to be favoring his left side. She could tell there were bandages underneath his t-shirt, wrapping around his waist, and she could only imagine what kind of internal damage had been inflicted.

Yet was still standing tall and watching her with his usual intensity... through the one eye that wasn't completely swollen shut.

"Shall we?"

"Are you sure you should be walking around right now?"

"I'd rather be moving, if you don't mind."

She was already up and shrugging on her coat. "Yeah, okay, walking's good."

They left the common area at a slow pace to accommodate Malcolm's limp. Tourists and students stared open-mouthed at the sight of him, but he held his head high as he led them down the street through the fog. After a few minutes they turned off the main road onto one of the lesser traveled alleyways.

For a few minutes, silence prevailed.

"I'm sure you must be wondering why I didn't tell you."

She couldn't help fidgeting with her sleeves. "Well… yes. I am. A bit."

"I kept telling myself I was too busy and it would be better to tell you in person."

"That's right, Phlox said you're working for NASA now?"

He nodded. "With Captain Archer on the Mission to Mars. I'm going along as the Mission Specialist."

She couldn't hide her shock. "Wow, that's… that's amazing! I didn't realize you'd actually be going on the mission."

"The truth is, I could have sent you a message and I didn't. I'm sorry."

She bit her lip. "There's no need to apologize. I mean, now that I know how much you had going on, it makes sense. It would be pretty ridiculous of me to expect any kind of priority on your to-do list."

His silence was disconcerting. Jasmine did her best to carry on. "Will you be stationed at Cape Canaveral?"

"Yes. I'll be going through astronaut camp, so I'm told. I have several acquaintances who will be going through the program with me."

"It sounds so exciting," She laughed, "You're making me quite jealous, actually. I'm finishing up my degree this year, and I'm going to be looking for internships in the summer. I can't even imagine how amazing it would be to work on that kind of a project."

"Do you want to work for NASA?"

"Who doesn't? That's every aerospace engineer's dream. You know you've made it if you work for NASA."

Malcolm seemed to seriously chew on this piece of information. He didn't speak again for several minutes.

"I'm sure Captain Archer would be happy to have another engineer working on the team. If you can provide me with your resume and official transcripts, I can send them over with my recommendation."

Her heart skipped a beat. "What, really?"

"I don't pretend to have very much sway over the Captain, but if there are any possible positions available I'm sure he will take my recommendation into full consideration. And I'm sure Doctor Phlox would be happy to send his recommendations along as well."

"Oh Malcolm, that would be…. Gosh, that's such a generous offer. I don't know what to say." She put a hand to her head, suddenly afraid she was dreaming.

"Your thanks are unnecessary. Besides the fact that you are more than capable of achieving such a position without my help, I'm afraid my reasons for recommending you are more selfish than altruistic."

Her heart began to pound. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that, it has less to do with your achieving your dream career than my wishing to… have you nearby."

Her mouth flew open, and she spent a few moments looking like a gasping fish. "Malcolm, what are you trying to say?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "The answer to the question you asked all those months ago, is that I don't want to be just friends."

All rational thought fled her mind in a mad rush. "You don't?"

"No."

"So you… you actually…."

"Even if you didn't get a job in Florida, I would still very much want to see you. Often." He swallowed hard and looked down. "I know it may seem absurd, but in a way you helped me realize that I needed a change in my life and career. So I should be thanking you."

He was actually serious. He liked her!

She couldn't hold back a grin. "No thanks necessary."

His gaze was so intense that she began to feel incredibly self-conscious.

She almost reached up to wipe aside her stray curl, but his hand beat her to it.

Her skin tingled where his thumb brushed her face.

He smiled. "You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that."

Despite all the bruises and swelling, he looked happier than she'd ever seen him.

"Jasmine, would you like to go on a date with me?"

She slipped her hand into his. "I'd love to."

"I know a good place for dinner, a pub just around the corner."

"Alright."

They both started walking again, hand in hand. Jasmine breathed in deep, catching the trace scent of pine from his aftershave.

"So... are you going to tell me why you and Hayes were beating each other up in the gym today?"

Malcolm groaned. "I was hoping you'd wait until after I had a pint before asking that question."

"Well I've waited pretty much all day to get answers, so I suppose a few more minutes won't kill me."

Jasmine's phone beeped: "ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON OR AM I GOING TO HAVE TO HOP ON A PLANE TO FIND OUT FOR MYSELF?"

"What are you smiling at?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just happy, that's all."

"Are you?"

She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Very."

It took him a moment to recover. When he did, it was with a self conscious smile. "So am I."


	17. One Year Later

_Here we are friends, at the very end of our journey. This is the last chapter. THE VERY LAST CHAPTER! I'm very excited and also extremely sad to finally be here. I've been working on this project for so long, I don't know what I'm going to do without it, but I am grateful that I was able to bring it to a satisfying end! :)_

_I would like to thank everyone who supported and encouraged me along the way. I owe the completion of this fic to you! Honestly, without your interest, this probably would have fizzled out around the 5th chapter, lol._

_THAT BEING SAID. Not only have I finished the fic, but I also went through all the previous chapters and re-edited them. Some of the changes are fairly drastic, owed to the fact that when I first wrote them I did very little editing. I simply felt that they needed a little bit of fine tuning, and since that's my favorite part of writing, I let myself have some fun :)_

_I hope you will do me the honor of re-reading the chapters, but if not, I hope that this final chapter proves to be a satisfying end to my favorite Malcolm fic!_

_Thank you again for all your support my friends, and cheers!_

* * *

"One park down, two to go."

Malcolm groaned as he watched his best friend open up a new map and begin to circle attractions. Three days at Disney World wasn't exactly his ideal way to spend the weekend, but it was Trip's birthday and he'd promised to try and have fun. At least Jasmine had been able to get the time off. Her presence was doing a lot to ease his suffering.

"I don't know about you guys, but I think we all needed this break from building rockets for a weekend of fun."

"Fun being the operative word."

"Well it's important to take the time to reconnect with your inner child."

"Some of us don't have to look very hard to find it."

Malcolm looked pointedly at Trip's Mickey Mouse souvenir hat while T'Pol smirked.

Trip made a face. "Jasmine, I don't know how you did it."

"Did what?"

"Convinced that boyfriend of yours to be here this weekend. I asked him every day for a week, but one word from you was all it took for him to finally say yes."

"I'm just that good I guess." She grinned up at Malcolm, and he felt a heat rise to his cheeks that had nothing to do with the humid night air.

"Yes well, the things we do for love."

She bit her lip.

"You got that right. That's why T'Pol agreed to be here even though she hates crowds, isn't that right sweetheart?"

"I came because it's your birthday and I'm your girlfriend. It seemed like the most reasonable thing to do."

"See? What did I tell you?" Trip grinned. "Love is a powerful thing."

"You also begged me on your hands and knees, and it felt wrong to tell you no."

Malcolm coughed to cover his snicker.

"Laugh all you want Lieutenant, but mark my words. One day you'll be gettin' down on your knees to ask your girl somethin' important, and you won't think it's so funny then."

T'Pol smacked him.

"What? It was a broad, non-specific example."

Malcolm didn't like the twinkle in his friend's eye and he shot Jasmine a furtive glance. She was staring intently at a nearby sign, clearly pretending not to have heard Trip's not so subtle subtext. He cleared his throat.

"Yes well... It's getting late. We should probably head back to the hotel if we want to get an early start tomorrow."

"You're absolutely right," Trip slung his arm over T'Pol's shoulders and grinned, "Everything seems to be working out quite nicely if I do say so myself."

"Thanks to Captain Archer. We wouldn't have been able to stay at the hotel without him."

"Well yeah Darlin', course I know that..."

Malcolm watched his two friends walk away, caught up in another one of their pointless arguments.

He hadn't put much stock in the relationship when Trip first told him they were dating. He'd given them two weeks, maybe three. But after several months and many intense arguments, they still managed to work things out. It was one of life's strange miracles.

"Jasmine?"

She grabbed his hand and yawned. "I don't suppose there's any empty strollers around here. Maybe you could push me to the lobby."

"I'm afraid not."

"What a shame."

He planted a kiss to her temple with a smile. "Just keep hold of my hand and we'll be there before you know it."

They followed after their friends at a leisurely pace.

"So how's training going?" Jasmine asked. "I feel like I haven't had a real conversation with you since Thursday."

"I've finally learned all the ship's systems inside and out, but I still don't feel comfortable with all the simulations."

"Just give it a little more time."

"It's easy for you to say, you've already mastered all the courses." He ran his fingers roughly through his hair. "If everyone took to astronaut training like you do, we might actually get the ESA to move up the launch date."

"It's not your fault it hasn't been moved."

"I know that."

"You'll get it," She gave his hand a squeeze, "Launch day is coming up pretty fast. I wish I could go with you."

He silently agreed. They'd been dating for almost a year now, about seven of it on the same side of the continent. NASA had hired Jasmine immediately after graduation thanks to Captain Archer's recommendation, and she'd moved to Florida a month later. It was nice having her close, but work had kept them busy and they often went a few days without seeing each other.

He wished they had more time, but the USS Enterprise was due to launch in less than a year and a half, and they were still scrambling to make sure the rocket would be completed on time.

"Captain Hernandez will be lucky to have you on board the Columbia."

"Thanks."

"And you know, it's probably better this way. If we were assigned on the same mission, I might have a difficult time focusing on my tasks."

"Malcolm Reed, are you saying that I'm a distraction?"

"The best kind darling."

He felt her laugh deep in his chest.

Fifteen minutes later they were back at the hotel. Trip and T'Pol were waiting for them at the elevators.

"We were thinking about grabbing a drink and hanging out by the pool for a bit, you guys wanna come?"

Malcolm looked to Jasmine. Her face immediately lit up. "I'd love to!"

"Meet you ladies back down at the bar in thirty?"

"Agreed."

The elevator opened and the girls walk down to the other end of the hall to get to their room. Captain Archer certainly hadn't skimped when he'd called in this favor for Trip. They'd been able to find two rooms between the four of them. Trip and Malcolm were sharing one room while Jasmine and T'Pol were sharing the other.

"You know Malcolm, if you and Jasmine need to leave the pool a little early tonight, we'd completely understand. You can crash in our room. I know you two haven't had a lot of time alone lately, and might need to get reacquainted..."

Trip chuckled as Malcolm sent him a withering glare.

"I'm kidding! I know you're always a perfect gentleman. But in all seriousness, once the USS Enterprise makes her maiden voyage you won't see her again for almost 3 years. I'd be making the most of every opportunity if I was you."

Malcolm's heart squeezed as he stared after Jasmine, only following Trip through the door after she disappeared from sight.

It didn't take them long to get ready. In less than ten minutes Malcolm and Trip were dressed in swim shorts and light t-shirts and on their way down to the bar. The girls however...

Malcolm and Trip were already onto their second rounds of drinks before they arrived. Jasmine was squinting around the dimly lit room, and his heart stuttered at the sight of her. She was wearing a black bikini top and high-waisted shorts. Her face was tanned and freshly washed, and her hair hung loose around her shoulders.

Trip whistled. "Our girls sure do clean up nice, don't they?"

"Yes."

Trip waved them over and they ordered their drinks before following the sound of a live Cuban band down to the pool. They found lounge chairs to share, and Jasmine seemed content to lean against him as she chatted with T'Pol about the Enterprise and dancing and traditional Indian music. He found his hand automatically reaching out to grab hers as it rested next to him. She gave it a squeeze and pulled it into her lap, and it was then that the reality of Trip's words finally began to sink in.

The truth was that he didn't have very much time left with her. The Enterprise was due to launch in less than two years. They would be gone for almost three, and The Columbia would launch about a year and half after the crew of the Enterprise returned. This weekend might be one of the last few times they had dedicated time together, and he would be a fool not to take advantage of it.

He took a hasty drink of his beer and set it down with force. "Jasmine, would you do me the honor of this dance?"

"Why, I thought you'd never ask!"

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Trip pulled T'Pol reluctantly to her feet, "I was hoping we'd give this dancing thing a spin."

The salsa music gave way to more of a waltz as they approached, and they joined in at the outskirts of the dancers.

Jasmine laid her cheek next to his and he breathed in deep, catching a tantalizing whiff of her lavender shampoo.

"I didn't know you could dance."

"Just one of my many hidden talents."

Jasmine laughed and he wished he could bottle up the sound and keep it forever.

He tightened his arm around her waist, enjoying the feeling of holding her in his arms. They didn't often get to enjoy quiet moments like this.

"Malcolm?"

"Hm?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier in the park, when you and Trip were talking?"

It was difficult to think while her fingers were gently tugging at the hair at the nape of his neck.

"When Trip and I were talking…"

"You said that… that you loved me."

His heart stuttered.

"Or, I mean I think you did. It was more implied, I suppose."

It took him a moment to gather his thoughts. "Yes, I suppose I did."

"Did you mean it?"

He kissed her forehead. "I've never meant anything more."

He felt her sigh and relax into his chest. When the song finally ended they meandered back to the poolside hand in hand.

Trip and T'Pol soon circled back, and the two couples sat and talked quietly for the next half an hour.

The sound of slurping broke the silence as Jasmine finished her drink. "I think I'm going to turn in."

Malcolm immediately got to his feet. "I'll walk you up."

He purposefully avoided Trip's conspiratorial wink as they said their good-nights and left.

The trip back to her room was short, but she lingered at the door. She watched him with her stormy eyes, hair spilling wildly around her face. It took every ounce of his self-control not to reach out and run his fingers through it.

"Good night Jasmine."

"Night Malcolm."

He started backing away.

She bit her lip. "Wait."

He stopped.

She grabbed the front of his shirt and stood on tiptoe, pressing a kiss to his lips before he could blink. "I love you too."

The door was about to close when his hand snaked out and caught the handle. He slipped in after her and let the door close behind him. He could barely see her in the dark, but the light from the bathroom was casting a warm glow on the side of her face.

"You know, three years is a long time to be apart."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Is that a promise?"

She shifted in the dark. "I've never told a man that I loved him before, so that's probably the best promise I can-"

He cut her off with a kiss. She tasted like pineapples and lime, and he couldn't seem to get enough of the feel of her skin. Her touch was fire, and when she twined her fingers into his hair, electric currents skittered across his skin.

He eventually pulled away to catch his breath, resting his forehead against hers. His pulse was wildly unsteady.

"I should probably go," He said at last, voice hoarse, "T'Pol will be back soon."

She released a shaky sigh. "I wish we didn't have to say good night."

He couldn't find the words to reply. He planted one more kiss on her lips and made a hasty exit out the door before he could change his mind. He sat on his bed, an idea building in his mind. It only took only a moment to send the text to his sister, and once done everything became crystal clear.

He spent the next morning checking his phone every five minutes. Jasmine seemed to sense his unease and slipped her hand into his with an encouraging smile. He didn't relax until the reply came through just as they were entering the park:

_"Yeah, mum's still got it in her jewelry box. She said it needs to be repaired. One of the gems is loose."_

He was still typing his answer when his phone started to ring.

"Sorry, I need to get this." He hastily excused himself from the group.

He answered the call, and his sister wasted no time getting to the point.

_"There's only one reason why you'd want me to send you Grandmama's ring."_

"Hello Madeline, how are Jerry and the girls?"

_"Oh don't play coy with me. Are you going to do it? Are you going to ask her to marry you?"_

He paused long enough to feel her impatience before he replied.

"Yes."

He pulled the phone away from his ear as she screamed. _"My little brother is getting married!"_

"Don't get too excited, I haven't asked her yet."

_"But she will say yes?"_

He looked back at Jasmine, who was watching him with concern. Her face lit up as he caught her eye and smiled.

"Yes Madeline, I do believe she will."


End file.
